Notre Dame de la Guerison sanctuary, Mountain shrine in Courmayeur, Italy
The Notre-Dame-de-la-Guérison sanctuary is a mountain chapel at the foot of Mont Chétif in the Val Veny, near Courmayeur in northwestern Italy. Its interior walls are decorated with frescoes, and three oil paintings by Giuseppe Stornone hang inside.
A holy site called Berrier stood at this location as far back as 1537, and a first chapel built in 1792 remained until it was destroyed. The current building was constructed in 1868 to replace it.
The walls inside the sanctuary are covered with votive offerings left by mountaineers who climbed the peaks nearby, including a silver model of the ship Stella Polare. These objects tell of gratitude and prayer tied to the risks of mountain life.
The sanctuary is accessible from May through November and sits along the Val Veny road, which can be reached by car from Courmayeur. Weather in this mountain area changes quickly, so sturdy footwear and a warm layer are worth having on hand.
Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI visited this sanctuary during their time in the Aosta Valley. It is rare for two different popes to visit the same small mountain chapel, which gives this place a standing few comparable sites share.
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