Initially, the 15th-century Majesty was housed in a tabernacle around which, following the miracles of 1467, the faithful built a small wooden chapel. Later, based on a design by Giorgio Vasari, masonry work began. The church has three naves, with a Latin cross layout featuring three arches on each side, supported by stone columns. The side naves are covered by cross vaults, while the central nave is topped by a barrel vault. At the center of the cross rises a dome with a circular drum, crowned by a lantern. The apse area is separated from the transept by an iconostasis, which features two side doors and a monumental altar in pietra serena, where the venerated image is embedded. The main door is framed by pietra serena and topped by a rounded pediment resting on an architrave decorated with floral motifs; the lunette bears the coat of arms of the Servites of Mary. Two portals open on either side of the church. Inside, the choir area is separated from the naves by an iconostasis, at the center of which is the image of the Sorrowful Madonna. Flanking the high altar are two additional altars: one belonging to the Arrighi family (1615) and the other to the Serbatisti family (1621). Two more altars are located along the side naves. The interior walls are plastered, with decorations in pietra serena.
**Description:**
This is a Majesty painted in 1417 by Feliciano Batone, which became the center of a miracle said to have occurred in 1467. The Virgin, with her head tilted to the left and wrapped in a blue mantle, wears a red dress with a white belt and has white side veils covering her face. She is depicted holding the recently crucified Christ, naked and wrapped in a white cloth. The image was later set, during the Baroque period, within a gilded frame. A portion of the oak tree trunk near which the miraculous image was originally housed is still preserved inside the church.
**Date of use:** Between 1417 and 1467
**Image:** Painting
**Location:** Fonte
**Original location of the Sanctuary:** Hung on the interior walls of the sanctuary.
**Notes on the collection:**
The votive tablets generally refer to healings or rescues from various dangers. Most of them date back to the 17th century, coinciding with the peak of devotion to the Sanctuary of the Oaks. Only three votive tablets date to the late 16th century, and two to the early 19th century. Many tablets are made of embossed copper.
**Types of votive offerings:**
– Tablets or plaques with inscriptions
– Painted tablets
– Goldsmithing objects
**Current preservation:**
For security reasons, we do not provide details identifying the current storage location of the votive offerings.
The construction of the sanctuary was completed in 1564. However, the devotion predates this and began with the miraculous event of 1467, centered around a Majesty at the foot of a large oak tree. Initially, a small wooden chapel was built to house the miraculous image, later replaced by a small masonry structure, and finally, in 1564, the sanctuary was erected. The church was consecrated on May 16, 1617, by the Bishop of Arezzo, Monsignor Ricci.
It is said that on August 18, 1467, a Sienese man, pursued by his enemies, stopped at the frescoed shrine by Batone to pray to Mary. His faith led the Virgin to make him invisible, freeing him from his enemies. The fame of the miracle quickly spread, drawing many devotees to the miraculous image. Before the miracle, a Sienese hermit, Francesco Maria Boninsegni, had spoken of a great treasure just outside Lucignano. After the 1467 miracle, he confirmed that the treasure he had spoken of was, in fact, the Majesty of Lucignano.
In October 1467, the first Mass was celebrated at the Oaks, with a temporary altar set up near the original tabernacle holding the miraculous fresco. On May 16, 1617, the current church was consecrated by Bishop Ricci of Arezzo, and a few years earlier, in October 1612, it was visited by the Grand Duchess Mother and Maria Maddalena of Austria. Between 1978 and 1979, the Superintendency of Arezzo carried out restoration work on the building after lightning damaged the drum and lantern. The side portal was also repaired.
This entry was compiled by Isabella Gagliardi and Stefano Meacci.
Numerous indulgences, both partial and plenary, were granted by Popes Sixtus IV, Paul III, Pius V, Gregory XIII, Clement VIII, Paul V, Urban VIII, Innocent X, Innocent XI, and Innocent XII.
On August 19, 1564, the men of the Lucignano community requested permission from Grand Duke Cosimo I to build a church to replace the tabernacle housing the venerated fresco of the Virgin of the Oaks. The Grand Duke granted permission on the condition that, in case of war, the building would be demolished. That same year, the Municipality of Lucignano also acquired the right of patronage over the sanctuary.
52046 Lucignano AR, Italy
