Our Lady of Gonare

Marian title of Orani (Sardinia)

La devoción a Our Lady of Gonare is linked to the Marian sanctuary located at the top of the Monte Gonarein the territory of Orani (Nuoro, Sardinia)and belongs to the island's oldest set of cymeric sanctuaries. The local tradition explains its origin from a vote of a flatter who, saved from a storm, would have promised to erect or dedicate a place to the Virgin on the mountain; this account belongs to the scope of the Pious tradition and should not be confused with strict historical documentation.

Main data

Origin and history

La devoción a Our Lady of Gonare is linked to the Marian sanctuary located at the top of the Monte Gonarein the territory of Orani (Nuoro, Sardinia)and belongs to the island's oldest set of cymeric sanctuaries. The local tradition explains its origin from a vote of a flatter who, saved from a storm, would have promised to erect or dedicate a place to the Virgin on the mountain; this account belongs to the scope of the Pious tradition and should not be confused with strict historical documentation.

The sources consulted do not contain a fully documented foundational chronology or a date of apparition of the cult that can be safely stated only from the available results. On the other hand, it is clear that the shrine of Gonare is part of the historical Marian asvocations of Sardinia and that its liturgical and popular celebration is associated with the September 8, date of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

The image and the sanctuary

It does not contain a sufficiently secure and detailed description of the image venerated in Gonare to accurately fix its type, material or iconography without risk of error. For this reason, such data should be given by no constan until it is verified in the specific documentation of the sanctuary or of the diocese.

The cult focuses on the sanctuary of Our Lady of Gonare on the summit of Mount Gonare, a place of pilgrimage deeply rooted in the religiosity of the area. With the information available here there is no canonical rating of the temple as minor basilica, National sanctuary o diocesan sanctuary; therefore, ese dato should appear as no consta in the form if it is not verified in an official source of the sanctuary or of the diocese.

Sponsorship and coronation

Our Lady of Gonare is recognized as spiritual patron of Orani and Barbagia (Nuoro, Sardinia). On the other hand, there is no higher-reach national or ecclesiastical patronage in the sources consulted.

On the canonical coronation, no canonical coronation is safely documented in the available results; therefore, it should be entered in the sheet.

Party and devotion

La main party se celebra el September 8in continuity with the Marian tradition linked to the Nativity of the Virgin.

The devotion is marked by the pilgrimage to the sanctuary on the mountain, characteristic feature of the cymera advocations of Sardinia, where the rise to the holy place is part of the penitential and festive experience. The available sources do not contain reliable flow figures or specific details on processions, but the persistence of strong local devotion, especially in Orani and in Barbagia.

Link to the Rosary

In the sources consulted there is no specific and exclusive historical link of this advocation with the prayer of the Rosary.

However, as every authentic Marian devotion, Our Lady of Gonare is well understood in the light of the Rosary: this prayer leads to contemplating, with Mary, the mysteries of Christ, and therefore naturally accompanies the piety of a Marian sanctuary, especially in celebrations, pilgrimages and community pleas.