Nostra Signora della Salute Sanctuary, Romanesque church in Volastra, Riomaggiore, Italy
The Nostra Signora della Salute Sanctuary is a Romanesque church built in the 12th century in Volastra, a hamlet of Riomaggiore. Its gabled facade of local stone blocks is topped by a row of small arches; the sandstone portal has a pointed arch and a Gothic bifora above. Inside is a single rectangular nave with a barrel vault and a narrow apse with a Baroque altar.
The sanctuary was built in the 12th century in Romanesque style, with later Gothic additions. The venerated image of the Madonna was crowned in 1891. A 15th-century triptych attributed to the Master of the Cinque Terre, showing Saint Lawrence with Saints Anthony Abbot and Bernard, was originally kept here and is now in the parish church of Manarola.
The sanctuary serves as a place of devotion for Volastra residents and holds central importance in their religious practices. Pilgrims and visitors come to pray before the crowned statue of Mary, which reflects the community's faith and protection through the saint.
The sanctuary is accessible via marked pathways that connect villages in the Cinque Terre region and wind through vineyard terraces and olive groves. It sits in a quiet hillside village and is best reached on foot, with trail conditions varying depending on the season.
The 15th-century triptych of Saint Lawrence between Saints Anthony Abbot and Bernard, attributed to the Master of the Cinque Terre, was originally displayed in this sanctuary; it is now kept in the parish church of San Lorenzo in Manarola. The sanctuary belongs to the parish of Manarola and is one of the five Marian shrines of the Cinque Terre.
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