A Thanksgiving Pilgrimage

Basilica Santuario Madonna Della Corona

​When Facebook pops up memories from a year or two ago when we were living in Italy, I am thankful we had the opportunity to make a Thanksgiving Day pilgrimage to an Italian cliff side Roman Catholic Sanctuary. The path leading up to the Sanctuary passes by an alpaca farm where they sell alpaca things and you can pet the alpacas.

​The brevity of time is scary to me. We visited the Basilica Santuario Madonna Della Corona on Thanksgiving Day and as the Italians do not commemorate this American holiday, we had the whole place to ourselves; just the two of us, no tourists! The Sanctuary dangles off the side of the high-altitude cliffs and is quite intimidating to walk the pathway leading up to the chapel. We appreciated the silence and peace we experienced on this religious land and the humbling skillfully crafted sculptures along the route up to the church dramatically expressed the story of Jesus.

​The Alter is cut out from the caves. Centuries of distressed disrepair warranted an updated look.

​Yes indeed, this region to the east of Lake Garda has a rich and long history. This area’s military history includes the famous French Commander Napoléon Bonaparte’s military campaign through Northern Italy. 

Napoleon Bonaparte’s military campaign in Northern Italy defeated the Austrian armies. According to military history, In September 1796, Napoleon and his army marched up the Alto Adige through the Adige Valley and Trento area on their way to Innsbruck, Austria.

Our afternoon lunch in Rivoli at Locanda Bonaparte Ristorante is full of local military history as you enjoy excellent food and wine at a great price! ​Our choice of local sparkling wines included Trento DOC and Prosecco Cartizze Superiore DOCG offered in a mode single glass. The restaurant also showcases objects, art, and information on the military presence in this area. 

These dish portions were a bigger pasta size than usually served, maybe because I only wanted the primi and not the typical three-course lunch. Keep in mind that I am sure the locals subsumed I was a tourist because of my giddy newbie behavior.

Today, when photos from last year or so pop up on my social media, I am so thankful of the memories and quite aware the brevity of time. I am finding myself missing the boutique Veneto wine selections I would get while living in Italy, but I no longer eat pasta as often in hope of losing some of the weight I gained from my time tasting all Italy had to offer!

The solitude of the Basilica Santuario Madonna Della Corona will be one of those memorable experiences I had while living in Italy.

References:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/santuario-madonna-della-corona
http://www.madonnadellacorona.it/en/home-3/
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/campaign_napoleon_italy_1796.html