Our Lady of the Crown

Marian title of Ferrara di Monte Baldo (Veneto)

La Madonna of the Crown is venerated in the spectacular sanctuary attached to the rocky wall of Mount Baldo, in the territory of Ferrara di Monte Baldo (Verona, Véneto, Italy). The origins of the cult are linked to a local tradition which places the Marian presence in that place from the Middle Ages; one of the most widespread legendary versions speaks of an image miraculously moved to the river, although that explanation belongs to the scope of the Pious Legend and not the historical documentation checked.

Main data

Origin and history

La Madonna of the Crown is venerated in the spectacular sanctuary attached to the rocky wall of Mount Baldo, in the territory of Ferrara di Monte Baldo (Verona, Véneto, Italy). The origins of the cult are linked to a local tradition which places the Marian presence in that place from the Middle Ages; one of the most widespread legendary versions speaks of an image miraculously moved to the river, although that explanation belongs to the scope of the Pious Legend and not the historical documentation checked.

La documented history of the sanctuary shows a more precise evolution: the cult was consolidated around the ancient eremite and, over the centuries, the place was expanded and transformed until it acquired the current physionomy. The sanctuary was promoted in modern times as a place of Marian pilgrimage, and its location, literally hanging between the rock and the void, has contributed decisively to its devotional and artistic fame.

The image and the sanctuary

The advocation is identified with a image of the Virgin Mary venerated as Madonna of the Crown; the sources consulted do not safely provide a uniform technical description of the material and the exact iconography, so these data no constan here with the required precision. It is clear that the cultural set is dedicated to Our Lady of the Crown and that devotion is expressed before his image within the sanctuary.

The official temple is the Sanctuary of Madonna della Coronafamous for being Covered in the rock of Mount Baldo and its steep access, which reinforces the character of retreat and pilgrimage. In the information consulted it is presented simply as a sanctuary; no consta in these sources which have the rank of a lower basilica, or of a national sanctuary, although it is a Marian sanctuary of great local and regional relevance.

Sponsorship and coronation

It does not contain a patronazgo universal or nacional clearly documented for this advocation; its veneration is above all linked to the sanctuary of Ferrara of Monte Baldo and to the devotion of the Veronese area and Mount Baldo.

A coronación en 1899according to the data provided, but in the sources gathered here no con seguridad the Pontiff or the delegate who executed it; it must be recorded as canonical coronation documented in 1899, with details of the ceremony not observed in these sources.

Party and devotion

La main party of this advocation no consta with safety in the sources collected, so it should not be fixed without additional verification. In the tradition of the sanctuary, devotion is expressed above all by pilgrimages to the river of Mount Baldo, personal visits, Marian prayer and a strong imprint of spiritual recollection in a unique natural environment.

The sources consulted highlight the emblematic character of the sanctuary because of its extraordinary location and the intensity of the devotional experience it arouses, although do not provide reliable flow data, calendar of specific popular celebrations or traditions. These aspects are therefore no constan here for sure.

Link to the Rosary

There is no specific and documented historical relationship between Our Lady of the Crown and a brotherhood of the Rosary, a feast of the Rosary or a rosarian tradition of its own. However, like every Marian advocation, this devotion is well understood in the light of the Rosarywho looks at the mysteries of Christ with Mary and helps to pray before her image from the faith of the Church.

In a sanctuary like that of Madonna della Corona, the Rosary is particularly suitable for its contemplative rhythm: it accompanies the outer pilgrimage with an inner pilgrimage, and allows us to meditate on the life of Christ with the maternal look of the Virgin.