The history of the Sanctuary of the Madonna d'Erbia in Casnigo is deeply intertwined with popular devotion and several events believed to be miraculous, which have marked the collective memory of the Seriana Valley.
📜 Origins and Miracles August 5, 1550: According to tradition, in the locality of Erbia, an image of the Madonna del Latte was painted on the wall of a farmhouse. Pilgrims flocked there, trampling the grass. The owner, annoyed, defaced the image with a hoe. The following day, the painting miraculously appeared intact. This event was interpreted as a divine sign and prompted the community to consider the site sacred.
August 6, 1839: A five-year-old boy, Luigino Rossi, caught in a storm, took refuge in a stable near the sanctuary. He recounted seeing the Madonna clothed in light, with the Child in her arms, a roll of bread, and a candle. The Virgin lit a fire, recited the rosary with him, and sang him to sleep. His father found him the next morning with a piece of bread still in his hand, which is now preserved as a relic.
🏗️ Architectural Evolution Late 18th – early 19th century: A small church was built incorporating the wall with the miraculous image. It was blessed in 1813.
1871–1882: The building was expanded to accommodate the growing number of faithful, with a final blessing from Bishop Gaetano Camillo Guindani.
1926: Construction of the bell tower.
1879: Frescoes in the dome by Ponziano Loverini, a painter from Bergamo.
21st century: Restoration and maintenance to preserve the structure.
🎗️ Devotion and Relics The sanctuary preserves numerous votive offerings, testimonies of graces received.
Among the most recent relics: the cassock of Pope John Paul II, worn on the last Palm Sunday of 2005, donated by a devout couple from Casnigo.
📅 Celebrations Every year, on August 5th and 6th, Marian feasts are held in commemoration of the two miraculous events. The sanctuary becomes a destination for pilgrimages and liturgical celebrations, with confessions and reception for the faithful.
Translated by Google •
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