- Art & Culture
Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Sassella
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Sassella is nestled on a rocky spur at the gates of Sondrio. It is surrounded by the terraced vineyards that are the birthplace of the renown Valtellina Superiore DOCG - Sassella red wine .
The origins of the Sanctuary date back to the XVth Century and the porch was added at the end of the XVIIth Century. This building is interesting for several reasons, such as the lunette made of white marble with a Nativity in high-relief attributable to the Rodari brothers or the frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Mary by Andrea De Passeris (1511) in the apse.
The apse is decorated with a central frescoe depicting the Annunciation by De Passeris, while on the right side a small polychrome window - a rarity in Valtellina - portrays the Nativity.
The inhabitants of Sondrio once used to walk up to the Sanctuary along the mule track that at the beginning lays at the foot of the mountain and then climbs the slope through rocks and vineyards up to the Sanctuary.
