At the beginning of the 19th century, the temple—which had become inadequate for the needs of the growing population—was demolished and completely rebuilt in the Genoese Baroque style. In 1886, the Bishop of Piacenza, Scalabrini, consecrated the new sanctuary, which had been started in 1806 and completed in 1820.

**Description:** The white marble statue, crafted in Ligurian style, depicts the Madonna holding the Child, who embraces her neck. The statue dates back to the 16th century and, according to an ancient tradition, was donated to the church by Saint Catherine of Genoa (Caterina de’ Fieschi).
**Date of use:** Between 1580 and 1620
**Image:** Statue
**References to publications or printed descriptions:**
Artocchini Carmen, *Folklore piacentino*, Piacenza 1971.
Artocchini Carmen, “Le tavolette ex-voto. Proposta per un censimento nel Piacentino,” in *Cultura piacentina tra Sette e Novecento. Studi in onore di Giovanni Forlini*, Piacenza 1978, pp. 263–269.

The monks of San Colombano of Bobbio settled in the upper Val di Taro and founded a convent there, also used as a hospice for pilgrims, and a church dedicated to the Nativity of Mary. The first document concerning the Church of the Nativity of Mary, founded by the monks of San Colombano, is an act from 1200 in which two papal delegates, tasked with resolving a dispute between the Bishop of Piacenza and the abbot of Borzone regarding the church of Santa Maria del Taro, stated that Abbot Alberto had sufficiently proven the monastery’s full rights over the church, as “the monastery of Borzone has possessed the said church for over fifty years.”

The church and convent were thus under the jurisdiction of the Abbey of Borzone in Liguria, which had become independent from the Abbey of Bobbio before 1150. The proximity to Genoese borders and the connection to the Abbey of Borzone made this sanctuary a popular destination for Ligurian populations. Among the faithful who attended the annual feast on September 8 at Santa Maria del Taro, the counts of Lavagna, the Ravaschieri, the Fieschi, and the Bianchi stood out for their devotion.

In 1393, the monks were forced to abandon the church and convent because the area had become a dangerous hideout for outlaws, bandits, and criminals. Tommaso Ravaschieri, Count of Lavagna, requested and obtained from Pope Boniface IX the priory over Santa Maria, also taking on the responsibility of restoring the abandoned church. In 1399, the monks returned to oversee the repaired church.

In 1536, the Bishop of Piacenza entrusted the sanctuary to the secular clergy.
A decision by the Roman Rota on March 23, 1703, declared Santa Maria del Taro under the “free collation of the Diocesan Ordinary of Piacenza.”

Pope Alexander IV, in 1393, granted the Ravaschieri family of Genoa a hundred-year administration and usufruct of the church’s assets, along with the authority to appoint the prior, under the obligation to provide him with one hundred gold florins and provisions for himself and a cleric. The Ravaschieri also pledged to repair the church at a cost of 1,200 gold florins and to pay an annual tribute to the Apostolic Chamber.

The monks of San Colombano of Bobbio settled in the upper Val di Taro and founded a convent, also used as a hospice for pilgrims, and a church dedicated to the Nativity of Mary. The church and convent were under the jurisdiction of the Abbey of Borzone in Liguria, which had become independent from the Abbey of Bobbio before 1150. The proximity to Genoese borders and the connection to the Abbey of Borzone made this sanctuary a popular destination for Ligurian populations.

The Bishop of Piacenza entrusted the sanctuary to the secular clergy.
The monks were under the jurisdiction of the Abbey of Borzone, which had become independent from Bobbio. In 1393, the monks were forced to abandon the church and convent because the area had become a dangerous hideout for outlaws. Tommaso Ravaschieri, Count of Lavagna, requested and obtained from Pope Boniface IX the priory over Santa Maria, also taking on the responsibility of restoring the abandoned church. In 1399, the monks returned to oversee the repaired church.

The Roman Rota, on March 23, 1703, declared Santa Maria del Taro under the “free collation of the Diocesan Ordinary of Piacenza.”
Tommaso Ravaschieri, Count of Lavagna, requested and obtained from Pope Boniface IX the priory over Santa Maria, also taking on the responsibility of restoring the abandoned church.

43059 Santa Maria del Taro PR, Italy