The numerous restoration works that followed from its foundation to the 1900s have given the sanctuary its current appearance. Along the path leading to the sanctuary, there are 14 chapels with the Stations of the Cross. The bell tower was built in 1621, the granite amphitheater with a hexagonal fountain in 1698, and several additional spaces were added: a six-room oratory and two stables.
**Description:** Painting of the Virgin Mary assumed into heaven, surrounded by a halo of glory and angels playing musical instruments. The fresco, painted on a lime-coated granite block and mounted on the wall, has been dated to the 13th–14th century.
**First documented use:** Between 1275 and 1315
**Image:** Painting
**Location:** Fonte
**Original location of the sanctuary:** The ex-votos were hung near the miraculous image.
**Notes on the collection:** Most are maritime ex-votos produced in Livorno, Liguria, or the Island of Elba. Typically, they are painted tablets depicting the rescued vessel. A 1929 questionnaire states: “Many gold objects, gifts from pilgrims, are kept solely by the mayor without any inventory.” The same is reiterated in the 1932 questionnaire: “The sanctuary holds many extremely valuable gold objects donated to the Madonna, poorly preserved—first under the chaplain’s care, now under Mayor Velasco’s, without a duplicate inventory or oversight.”
**Types of ex-votos:** Tablets or plaques with inscriptions, painted tablets, goldsmith objects
**Current preservation:** Only those from 1839 onward have survived, but for security reasons, details about their storage location are not provided.
**Reference to publications or printed descriptions:** AA.VV., *Ex Voto, Arte popolare e fede*, Catalog of the exhibition (July 16–August 2, 1991), Piombino, Centro Piombinese di Studi Storici, 1991.
The earliest documented evidence of the sanctuary’s existence comes from an act by Cosimo de’ Medici dated 1547. Most likely, the sanctuary originated through the efforts of a hermit who lived in a cave near the spring close to the sanctuary. Unfortunately, much of the sanctuary’s documentation was lost during the French invasion of Tuscany, making it impossible to recover definitive details about its earliest history.
Some shepherds, grazing their flocks on Monte Giove, found an image of the Virgin painted on a boulder. Amazed, they reported the discovery to the nearby village, and soon after, plans were made to build a modest oratory. The discovery site seemed too far from the village, so it was unanimously decided to construct the oratory at Pian del Castagno, where the painted boulder was moved and stones for construction were gathered. At dawn the next day, neither the boulder nor the stones were found—all materials had returned to the original discovery site near the spring.
A plaque on the sanctuary attests to Napoleon Bonaparte’s stay there from August 23 to September 5, 1814. In 1940, diocesan bishop Monsignor Faustino Baldini claimed administrative rights over the sanctuary. This entry was compiled by Don Sandro Tredici and Beatrice Sordini.
**Diocesan indulgences from its foundation onward.**
In the early 16th century, the parish priest of Marciana visited the sanctuary daily to celebrate Mass. Between 1792 and 1735, diocesan priests of San Paolo della Croce officiated at the sanctuary. In 1819, feast days for the Titular, the Visitation, and three weekly Masses were celebrated. A decline in officiation is noted in the 1912–1919 questionnaire, which states that Mass was held on all feast days (including suppressed ones), every Saturday, and once a month as required by the chaplain. The 1932 questionnaire reveals the sanctuary lacked a dedicated chaplain, and the parish priest of Santa Caterina officiated on feast days and sometimes weekdays for pilgrims. A 1927 report on Marciana’s oratories mentions an obligation for 180 annual Masses, but with no priest available, the archpriest Mariotti wrote to various religious orders—without success.
The sanctuary’s administration was directly managed by the municipal government, which handled its income and organized services starting in 1819 through a chamberlain and later the *Opera della Madonna del Monte*. A 1929 questionnaire by the parish priest notes: “The sanctuary was formerly administered by its rector, who reported annually to the municipality, but neglect and inefficiency transferred control to the town. Today, administration is purely civil, managed by the *Opera del Comune* for upkeep and festivals. The sanctuary has no chaplain; the parish priest fills in when pilgrims request Mass. […] Unsupervised administration remains with the town. Since 1917, the legacy of three weekly Masses has gone unfulfilled.” From 1932 to 1936, the mayor managed the sanctuary’s income: “Now [1936], the mayor alone administers it independently, freely disposing of all income. Despite auctions of natural produce, the treasury remains in deficit.” Archpriest Mariotti questioned the legality of this patronage, citing dubious origins: “Years ago, the Prefecture asked the then-mayor why the *Opera del Monte* wasn’t under its authority. The response cited its ecclesiastical nature, and the matter was dropped. The Latin record of this response vanished and was never found. Precise details would require accessing the Madonna’s full archive—a difficult task for obvious reasons.”
The patronage of the Prince of Piombino took effect in the 16th century.
57030 Marciana, Province of Livorno, Italy
