Livorno: Montenero Monastery

On the hills overlooking Leghorn there is the famous Marian sanctuary of Tuscany dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Montenero. Arisen from an image of the Virgin – the popular tradition says she arrived from the East to Leghorn beaches where a crippled shepherd found her –, first documentations of the small oratory go back to the 14th century, although, very probably, the extraordinary cultural luck of this image was due to a surge of Marian devotion which concerned the area of Pisa and Leghorn in 1341.
Several and later architectonic reworking have changed the ancient structure, simple and small-sized, into the current wide and structured place of worship. The first modifications were introduced by the Order of Gesuati who took care of the monastery between the 40s of 1400 and 1668.
The simple Gesuati structure was thoroughly changed by the Theatine Fathers, in charge of monastery since 1720. They widened the church making it with a nave and two aisles; they adorned the with stucco basreliefs and between the windows put eight paintings.

They also built the Chapel of Saints Gregorio and Gaetano dei Genovesi from Leghorn and embellished the Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption; they also added many bas-reliefs, sculptures and decoration elements, the new monastery and three loggias in front of the church. The most spectacular work by the Theatine monks was, with no doubt, the stately Chapel of the High Altar, in full baroque style.
The Vallumbrosan monks, who took over the place from the Theatine fathers, decorated the church, widened the monastery by building the wing at the corner of the external façade of the church.
Patron saint of the town, even more than the ancient martyr Julie, the Virgin Mary of Montenero has been for centuries the main spiritual protection of that stretch of coast, as it is proved by the countless votive offerings on its walls in remembrance of old and recent “blessings”.

(Portions of this article first appeared in "Toscana & Chianti News")
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