Nostra Signora di Montenero, Catholic shrine in Riomaggiore, Italy

Nostra Signora di Montenero is a Catholic shrine church in the Riomaggiore hamlet of Montenero, in the province of La Spezia, at 340 m above sea level. It is reached only on foot by a mule track from provincial road 370. The interior has three naves; the 18th-century fresco is by Battaglia of Castelnuovo Magra, and the 1899 organ is by the Pistoia firm Agati-Tronci.

Written records first mention the shrine in 1335, but popular tradition dates a primitive place of worship to 790, when the inhabitants of Riomaggiore built it after a Marian vision to the young Maria del Paladino. Deep renovations and enlargements in 1740 and again in 1847 altered the original structure, giving the building its present three-nave layout.

The venerated image is a painting of the Assumption of Mary with the apostles, which replaced a Byzantine icon lost in the 15th century. Restored in 1947, it is carried in procession on the Monday after Pentecost, a date residents of Riomaggiore mark each year.

The site is accessible via a walking path from Riomaggiore's center and requires moderate effort on the uphill climb. Sturdy footwear and plenty of water are important, as the route can be steep with little shade.

The venerated image is not the original Byzantine icon, which was lost in the 15th century; it is a painting of the Assumption of Mary with the apostles, restored in 1947 and carried in procession on Pentecost Monday. The 18th-century fresco inside is by Battaglia of Castelnuovo Magra, and the 1899 organ comes from the Pistoia firm Agati-Tronci.