Angera, the Madonna della Riva Sanctuary

This beautiful town, overlooking Lake Maggiore on the Lombard side, is a historic site of great importance. In Roman times it was an important center and in the Middle Ages it was the seat of the territorial organization and the defensive system of the archbishops of Milan, there are buildings that still remember this glorious past.

Of particular beauty and charm, in Angera, is the Sanctuary Madonna della Riva, built after a miracle that occurred on 27 June 1657, when the image of the Blessed Virgin, frescoed on top of a side wall of Casa Berna, she wept blood. After a thorough investigation that proved the miracle, permission was obtained to build the Sanctuary that became the center of Marian devotion.

The head of the work was the Milanese architect Gerolamo Quadrio and the foundation stone was laid on 10 August 1662. The difficulties encountered during the construction and the lack of funds prevented the complete realization of the original project. In 1943, the façade was reinforced by the architect Rino Ferrini d'Angera because it was in danger of collapsing.

Inside the sanctuary there is the elegant altar with the image of the Madonna and Child Jesus in her arms, detached from the original wall and transferred to canvas by Tino Anselmi.
The feast of the Sanctuary is celebrated every first Sunday in July and that of the miracle on the anniversary day (27 June).