Madonna D’europa in Motta: Panoramic Statue in Valle Spluga

Motta can be reached from Campodolcino via the underground Sky Express funicular railway, or on foot from Madesimo along a scenic trail that leads to the foot of the statue in approximately thirty minutes. Situated at around 2,000 metres above sea level, the site offers sweeping views over the valleys below, framed by forests, rocks, and the pure air of the mountains.

The project was conceived in 1955 by Don Luigi Re, founder of the Casa Alpina di Motta, who wished to erect a monument dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Thanks to the moral and financial support of the Alpini group from Casatenovo and the work of sculptor Egidio Casagrande, the statue—originally intended for Pizzo Stella—found its final location on the summit of Serenissima, where it was unveiled on 15 October 1957.

Beneath the statue are an altar, a crypt dedicated to European soldiers who died in the last war, and a large staircase facing the Casa Alpina. Don Luigi Re, who died in 1965, is buried here. The statue, inaugurated in 1958 by His Excellency Monsignor Giovanni Battista Montini, is now known as the Virgin of the Peaks and Our Lady of Europe, serving as a landmark for believers and pilgrims from across Europe.

Just a short distance away, Lake Azzurro of Motta, with its clear and vivid waters, completes a landscape of extraordinary beauty, making every visit a memorable experience of spirituality and contemplation.