Marian devotion
Where is he?
The Madonna of the Sangue de Re is venerated in the Shrine of Re, in the valley of Vigezzo, province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont (Italy). The point of the map corresponds to the building of the Sanctuary della Madonna del Sangue identified by OpenStreetMap; it does not intend to point out the exact place of the fresco within the basilica.
Documented history
The sanctuary preserves the memory of a fresco of the Virgin of Milk. The tradition places the beginning of the phenomenon on April 29, 1494, when a stone hit the image and the story of a blood effusion was spread that would have continued for a long period. The research available for this document mentions two old documents: a parchment of 1494 signed by the podestà Daniele Crespi and four notaries, and a one of 1500 written by the podestà Angiolo Romano. These documents are part of the written history of devotion, but this fact sheet does not in itself make their existence a medical test or a modern judgment of the phenomenon.
The first great church was consecrated in 1627 and the present basilica, on a larger scale, was consecrated in 1958. The place developed as a pilgrimage center of the valley and retains a remarkable collection of devotees. The municipal source of Re presents the sanctuary as one of the main religious and artistic places of the territory, while the local tradition maintains the link between the fresco and the 1494 episode.
Tradition
The devotional account tells that a stone cast against the image of the Virgin of Milk caused the blood to be poured out. The image has since been associated with the protection of the inhabitants of the valley and the pilgrimage to Re. The details on the intention of the person who threw the stone or on each moment of the episode do not sufficiently complete the sources used for this sheet and are not filled with later versions.
Legend and limits of the record
Blood, its duration and supernatural explanations belong to the extraordinary core of tradition. The existence of the cult, of the preserved documents, of the basilica and of the exvotes can be described as the history of the sanctuary; it is not equivalent to saying that a contemporary analysis has proved the phenomenon. The sources consulted do not contain a modern decree of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that declares the effusion supernatural.
Ecclesial State
The sanctuary maintains Catholic public veneration and devotion is integrated into local religious life. For this sheet there is no modern formal pronunciation that forces you to believe in blood effusion as a supernatural fact. It therefore presents itself as a Marian devotion with extraordinary tradition, distinguishing the documented cult from judgment over the phenomenon.
Anecdotes and stories
The basilica retains more than three hundred painted exvotes, dated from the 17th century according to the documentation summarized by the research. The exvotes are material testimonies of gratitude and of the reception of devotion; they are not, in themselves, medical certifications of miracles. Its continuity helps explain why Re's memory remained alive in the Vigezzo valley.
Prayer
Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus, accompanies with your intercession those who pilgrim with confidence and those who seek comfort in the midst of disease or difficulty. Teach us to distinguish the truth from tradition and to direct all hope towards God. Amen.
Sources
- Comune di Re, Santuario della Madonna del Sangue, municipal source, HTTP 200.
- OpenStreetMap, Sanctuary of Madonna del Sangue, way 207797122, HTTP 200.
- Vatican. with, tourist record del santuario de Re, consulted as a supplementary source, HTTP 200.
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