The sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime stands in the frazione of Lezzeno, above Bellano, in a panoramic position over Lake Como and the Lombard Pre-Alps. The official manager of the Sentiero del Viandante lists it among the waypoints of the half-stage linking Dervio and Bellano.
History
Tradition traces the origin of the sanctuary to an event held to be miraculous: on 6 August 1688 the farmer Bartolomeo Mezzera, who had stopped to pray in front of a small roadside tabernacle, saw the image of the Madonna set in a medallion weep blood. The parish priest, don Paolo Antonio Rubini, alerted the Archbishop of Milan, Federico Visconti, who after an inquiry recognised the event as miraculous.
The first stone was laid on 6 August 1690 and the building was completed in 1694. In 1706 the plaster medallion was placed in a niche behind the high altar, where it is still kept. In 1896 the church was raised to the rank of an archdiocesan sanctuary; the frescoes by Luigi Morgari date from the following years.
What to see
- The single-nave interior, decorated with marble — including black Varenna marble — stucco and frescoes made in different periods.
- The Baroque façade, in the plain, linear forms of the late 17th century, with two niches holding statues of St Peter and St Paul.
- Along the approach staircase, seven niches with mosaics dedicated to the sorrows of the Virgin, made in 1968.
Getting there
The sanctuary is reached on foot from Bellano along a cobbled mule track, climbing towards the frazione of Lezzeno. It lies on the route of the Dervio–Bellano half-stage of the Sentiero del Viandante, which from Dervio passes through Balze dei Ronchi, Verginate and Oro before reaching the sanctuary and dropping down to Bellano by way of Ombriaco.
Practical information
- For opening hours, service times and any seasonal changes, it is best to check with the parish of Bellano.
- The feast of the Miracle falls on 6 August.
Downhill, on the lakeshore, the stage reaches Bellano and its Orrido, next to the church of Santi Nazaro e Celso.