Therapeutic Sanctuaries and Hermitages in the Territory of Serravalle

The definition of “therapeutic sanctuaries” refers to those places of worship frequented to obtain healing from illnesses, to prevent them, or to promote the health of both body and soul. The presence of “miraculous” waters, whether perennial springs or temporary ones, or the flow of streams and waterfalls near these places, is a characteristic element that reflects the spirit of the territory.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso

The rock sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso can be dated around the 14th – 15th century. It was a hermit place until the mid-20th century and still preserves remains of votive frescoes, dating back to between the 1400s and 1600s, including a Madonna of Loreto and a Saint Christopher, by Paolo di Visso (mid-1400s), and other figures attributed to the Angelucci.
The building is located on a rocky ridge overlooking the stream, now dry and almost completely vanished, of the Percanestro ditch, in a place of rare scenic beauty. Externally, it is characterized by a Gothic portal and slits, while internally, the floor, entirely carved out of the natural rock, denotes a rocky character, also typical of hermitages.

In the 1960s, it is said, an image of the Madonna carved in stone was venerated, unfortunately now stolen, which gave the sanctuary its name. This representation appears extremely interesting if we consider ancient cults, such as the cult of Cybele, considered Mother Earth and represented in the Phrygian world by a black stone.

Inside the church, the Last Judgment, commissioned by Giulio Cesare da Varano, Lord of Camerino, a Franciscan who often came to pray in these lands during the second half of the 15th century, was represented on the wall facing upstream. The fresco was subsequently detached and taken to the new Church of San Martino. The work is attributed to Cristoforo di Jacopo di Marcucciola, a disciple of Bartolomeo di Tommaso. It is divided into three bands: the lower band represents the Resurrection of the Dead, the Ascension of the Elect, and the Infernal Scenes; the central band is divided into two parts by a closed door flanked by St. Paul and St. Peter; in the upper area, Paradise is represented by haloed figures and by Christ with adoring angels.
The sanctuary was considered therapeutic for all ailments, and its position highlights the phenomenon of pilgrimage linked to Franciscanism.