Mount & Blade Artwork

ancient places of worship in Liguria 6

On the way to Beverone: Our Lady of the Olive

The ancient mule track, departing from the alluvial plain of Brugnato, climbs steeply up the mountain Beverone "roof" of the middle and lower Val di Vara, was a safe route of importance in the past. It was, in fact, the fastest route linking the territory of Zignago and the junction, probably located at the bed of the Vara, which allowed to choose whether to continue south to the sea or turn on the road in the direction of the Lunigiana romea or Genoa. This already when still Brugnato there and the river had filled the valley of debris until it becomes a fertile plain that we know today.

Just two miles from Brugnato on this ancient route, now fallen into disuse, there is a small shrine, the story is built by the monks of the nearby monastery of St. Columba to officiate at functions during the restoration of their church.

This is the "Madonna of the Olive," oratory of stone plastered with a single nave, with no frills or decorations worthy of note. Again, the legend says that a square wood depicting the Madonna and child was found in the branches of an olive tree, and since the events considered miraculous, had been built the chapel.

addition to the usual formula of the story which appeared in this case, we have only the nucleus, we find that the sanctuary is located, as all the others described above, near a line of communication important, so is the highly likely that it was a sacred place to the Gentiles, which was converted .

In fact, the story of the monks who build in place of their oratory, closed for renovation, is not very credible. The convent, in fact, as close, however, is four kilometers away, on the other side of the valley and it is highly unlikely that the monks have chosen a site is not easy to reach either for construction or for attendance.

is more likely, however, that Our Lady of the Olive has been erected on the place where travelers Gentiles, who followed the road to Zignago, stopping to worship an idol or agricultural nature, perhaps linked precisely to the olive (as Shrine of the Rover), like a majestic contemporary, in a particularly difficult path, protecting the pilgrims and encourages him to continue.

The olive tree is one of many pre-Christian symbol that Christianity has made and its not surprising that the Virgin just choose this tree for her appearance.