Gallivaggio Sanctuary in Valle Spluga: Shrine of The Mother of Mercy

It was on 10 October 1492 when two young girls from the nearby villages of Vho and Lirone were gathering chestnuts in Gallivaggio and were suddenly enveloped by a light brighter than the sun. Within that radiance, the Virgin Mary appeared to them, clothed in a white veil and surrounded by angels. Speaking with a regal voice, she called for the conversion of sinners and the observance of holy days, promising her constant prayers for the people. Trembling and kneeling, the girls reported the message to the parish priest, and the news quickly spread throughout the community.

The local population first built a wooden chapel, later replaced by a masonry structure, before the construction of the basilica began in 1598. The church was consecrated in 1615 by Bishop Filippo Archinti. The 52-metre bell tower was completed in 1731, becoming a symbol of the sanctuary’s grandeur and of the enduring divine presence associated with the site.

Today, the sanctuary continues to captivate visitors with its extraordinary location, set among imposing rock faces and Alpine forests. In 2018, a major landslide involving approximately 7,500 cubic metres of rock detached from the mountain above and struck the sanctuary area. Some boulders also hit the church roof, making extensive safety and restoration works necessary. As they have done for centuries, pilgrims continue to gather here to pray and to leave messages of gratitude and petitions on the “sacred rock”, the silent witness to the apparition and guardian of more than 520 years of devotion. The sanctuary is currently undergoing restoration and enhancement works that will allow it to be fully returned to the community and its visitors. Gallivaggio is more than a sanctuary: it is a place where heaven seems to touch the earth, and where every visitor can find comfort and wonder.