A one-day itinerary designed to help you discover a deeply rooted tradition in Romagna: that of votive offerings, small artifacts offered by the devout faithful as a sign of gratitude for a grace received.
The route unfolds in five stages through churches, sanctuaries and museums, places that testify the inextricable bond between the local culture and spirituality. Between the Via Emilia and the rolling hills of Faenza, you will have the opportunity to discover this dimension of devotion and folklore, visiting charming places such as Castel Bolognese, Faenza, Brisighella and Solarolo.
To know
The five stages are also located along one of the spiritual paths of Emilia-Romagna, the Via Misericordiae.
Our journey starts at the Church of San Francesco, in Castel Bolognese.
Built in 1702 by architect Francesco Fontana, on the ruins of the older church of Santa Lucia, it houses the large reliquary altar and the statue of the Immaculate Virgin, protector of the local community since the 16th century. According to tradition, the Madonna was invoked as early as 1509, to defend the town from the raids of mercenary bands. Again, in 1630, during a dramatic plague epidemic, and later in 1781, a year marked by a devastating earthquake, the people turned to her intercession. As a testimony to the faith and devotion of the faithful, the chapel houses numerous votive tablets and votive offerings, offered as a sign of gratitude for the Madonna's support in their pleas for help.
Event
Every year Castel Bolognese celebrates the Immaculate Virgin during the Pentecost Festival
The second stop takes us to Tebano, a hamlet outside Faenza that is home to the Chiesa di Santa Caterina. Erected to worship the Virgin Mary, the church is dedicated to the Sacred Image of the Virgin with child, a terracotta bas-relief probably taken from a votive pillar.
It can only be visited at weekends.
We then come to the village of Brisighella, the location of the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angeli, annexed to the monastery of the Order of Friars Minor.
Built in the 16th century and fully renovated in the 17th century, it houses a wooden statue of Mary of the Seven Sorrows, with a nearby cabinet containing the ex votos.
Once in Faenza, head to Piazza del Popolo for a visit to the Duomo (the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle), an impressive example of Renaissance architecture in Romagna.
Hanging from the dome is a 17th century banner. Donated by the city of Warsaw, it carries an epigraph of thanks to the Blessed Virgin of Grace of Faenza for the cessation of the plague: this is the Votum Varsaviae, a public ex voto.
On leaving the Duomo take Corso Garibaldi, which leads to the Church of San Francesco, constructed by Franciscan friars in 1271 and rebuilt between 1740 and 1751. Among its paintings is a panel with the sacred image of the Immaculate Conception, an object of worship.
Not far from the church is the Museo di San Francesco which houses a rich collection of sacred and liturgical furnishings and a series of ex-votos.
Moving west, we now cross the Via Emilia and head towards Via Canal Grande, where you’ll find the Chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso of the Capuchin Friars Minor. The veneration of the Santissimo Crocifisso - the Most Holy Crucifix - dates back to ancient times. Its origins lie in a miraculous event of the 16th century. The story has it that one day Fra Battista da Faenza, a Franciscan friar, was being reprimanded by a superior: as an act of humility and in order to respect his vow of obedience, he remained silent… and a blood vessel ruptured in his chest. Barely able to hold back the flow of blood that rose to his mouth, he knelt and prostrated himself before an image of the Crucifix; the image moved, spoke to him of its sufferings and miraculously healed him.
Over the centuries, the cult of the Crucifix spread, both locally and beyond: famines, plagues and natural disasters coincided with waves of devotion, as highlighted by the gifts adorning the chapel.
Some ex-votos are also kept in the Diocesan Museum of Faenza but can only be seen by making a reservation.
The last part of the itinerary leads us to Solarolo and the Santuario della Madonna della Salute, about 1 km from the town. Built between 1731 and 1736, it now houses an image of Mary, made of ceramic; the importance of this sanctuary as a place of worship is demonstrated by the numerous Ex votos preserved in the Santuario Museum (visitable by appointment).
Most of the images date back to the 18th and 19th centuries; their authors and the people who offered the ex-voto are all known.
