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Terre di Otium, Holy Year 2025: the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mentorella

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Our lands, so close to Rome and the Vatican, have always been places of devotion. Dotted with country churches, monasteries and convents, they tell the story of an ancient world, where time flowed slowly and in harmony with Nature. These were humble lands, inhabited by simple people who venerated sacred images and celebrated their patron saint with processions and moments of prayer, with joy and a desire to come together.

Even today, it is possible to immerse oneself in silence and contemplation, to rediscover that simplicity, to feel part of Nature and Creation, and to take part in festivals and celebrations that bring every village to life at different times of the year.

The cult of Mary, particularly deeply felt, can be found in dozens of roadside shrines and “cone” along the roads and at the crossroads leading to the medieval villages built on hilltops. Many small churches are dedicated to “Our Lady of the Snow” and bear witness to the ancient snow trade.

There are also some “special” places of worship: the four Marian Sanctuaries, Jubilee churches for the Holy Year 2025, belonging to the Diocese of Tivoli and Palestrina.

In Capranica Prenestina, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mentorella: the oldest Marian sanctuary in Italy

Between the cities of Palestrina and Tivoli, just a few kilometres from Rome, along the eastern slope of the Prenestini Mountains, on a cliff overlooking the lush Giovenzano Valley, stands the Sanctuary of the Mother of Graces of Mentorella. Dominating the landscape is the summit of Mount Guadagnolo, the highest inhabited point in Lazio, at 1,218 metres above sea level, where the majestic Monument to the Redeemer rises. It was erected during the time of Pope Leo XIII. The current statue dates back to the 1970s and is the work of Elverio Veroli, replacing the original, which had been seriously damaged by lightning.

After leaving your car in the large parking area, along the road leading to the sanctuary, you walk beside the woods and can see the arrival point of the paths that pilgrims have followed for centuries from the villages of Ciciliano and Pisoniano to reach this ancient place of worship.

Even today, visitors can see the small cave with its narrow entrance, where Saint Benedict lived and prayed. According to popular legend, the foundation of the sanctuary dates back to the time of Emperor Constantine, as told by an ancient wooden panel, which also recalls the miracle of the conversion of Saint Eustace, said to have taken place not far from here.The sanctuary underwent major restoration work in the 17th century, when the Jesuit Father Athanasius Kircher “rediscovered” it during his explorations and decided to devote himself completely to restoring dignity to this extremely important place of worship. He became so deeply attached to it that he wished his heart to be buried at the foot of the medieval wooden sculpture of Mary. Pope Innocent XIII, of the Conti di Poli family, expressed the same wish. This truly is a place filled with spirituality, where every pilgrim leaves a fragment of their heart. Since 1883, the Sanctuary has been entrusted to the Polish Resurrectionist Fathers. And it was precisely the Polish Pope John Paul II who, as a pilgrim, often came here to pray, first as a cardinal and later as pontiff.