Nostra Signora del Mirteto, Sanctuary in Ortonovo, Luni, Italy

Nostra Signora del Mirteto is a sanctuary in Ortonovo, a hamlet of Luni, built between 1540 and 1566 to designs by Ippolito Marcello of Lucca. Its interior has three naves divided by two rows of Corinthian pilasters supporting the ceiling vaults and chapel arches. The facade carries a central rose window clad in white Carrara marble and, in the lunette above the architrave, a high relief of the Madonna and Child with two devotees, once attributed to a young Michelangelo but now linked to a Lucchese sculptor.

An oratory dedicated to Santa Maria del Mortineto stood here by the 15th century, served by the Disciplinanti confraternity. After a painting of the Madonna was said to shed tears of blood in 1537, the Lucchese architect Ippolito Marcello built a larger sanctuary between 1540 and 1566. Dominicans took over in 1584 and added the sacristy and convent in 1601, a new choir in 1650 and the octagonal marble tempietto in 1796.

The name changed from "Mortineto" to "Mirteto" during the Napoleonic period, likely through a transcription error from Italian into French. The shrine is now cared for by priests of the Fraternità Missionaria di Maria, a community originally from Guatemala, who have managed it since 2003.

The chapel sits within the historic area of Luni and is reachable on foot from the settlement. Visitors should expect uneven pathways and wear appropriate footwear for walking.

The name Mirteto is likely a transcription error: the original title was Santa Maria del Mortineto, changed during the Napoleonic period when Italian was rendered into French. The myrtle-tree explanation is not supported by the sources.