- Religious Tourism
- Art & Culture
Santa Maria della Croce Sanctuary
Monument of art and spiritual center of the city, the Sanctuary is an excellent example of Lombard Renaissance architecture
At the end of a long, tree-lined avenue in the direction of Bergamo is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Croce, built to venerate Mary following the numerous miraculous events that occurred after the Virgin appeared to Caterina degli Uberti on 3 April 1490.
The first stone was laid on 6 August 1490, thanks to the donations of the faithful who made its construction possible.
The architect charged with the task was Giovanni Battagio, a pupil of Bramante, who conceived the brick building with a central plan, with three rows of superimposed galleries and chapels in the four cardinal points. In 1500 the construction was completed, but a Gothic-style gallery would be added by the new architect Giovanni Antonio Montanaro.
