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The patronage of this shrine, dedicated to the Madonna, refers to the town of Loreto. This is one of the great and important Marian pilgrimage sites in Europe, along with Lourdes in the French Pyrenees and Fatima in Portugal. Unlike the other two places mentioned, however, Loreto is not known for apparitions of the Mother of God. Here, pilgrims can find something very tangible: Mary's childhood home in Nazareth (Israel). Her parents—not mentioned by name in the biblical writings of the New Testament—are mentioned in apocryphal traditions: Saint Anne and Saint Joachim are thus the grandparents of Jesus Christ (their common feast day in the calendar of saints is July 26). Crusaders likely dismantled the venerated building in Nazareth and brought it to Europe when the era of the Christian kingdoms in the Holy Land came to an end towards the end of the 13th century. But this very sober assumption is countered by a much more interesting legend: According to this, four angels carried out the translation and flew the house over the Mediterranean.

The dam is now paved and very easy to drive on. Only a bridge is still missing a little further west, so there's a detour through the town.

It's probably a lot busier here in the summer. Today there were a few regulars here, who probably like to spend their afternoons on the banks of the Po. The proprietor seems very nice and would have prepared us a meal, but it was too early for us.

An idyllic spot for a rest and a picnic! We soak up the peace and quiet. From here, it's supposedly possible to take a boat across, just as pilgrims did in the Middle Ages. It's probably busier here in the summer.

Unfortunately, this church of St. James on the Via Francigena was closed.

This palace is called the "Versailles" of Lombardy. Everything is locked. According to the sign, it can be visited by appointment. The grounds are vast.

I don't know when they will be finished but a cycle bridge is being planned downstream from the road bridge and it will avoid the stretch of SS 234, to date (March 2025) the foundations have been laid on both banks then we'll see...

Chignolo Po Castle