The Sanctuary of Vicoforte (CN) dedicated to the Madonna of Vico, Regina Montis Regalis, is a masterpiece of Piedmont Baroque architecture and art. The complex began as a medieval sanctuary with a modest column, decorated with a 15th century fresco of the Madonna and Child, erected by a brick maker to bless the working of his kiln. The tradition holds that, in 1592, a hunter accidentally shot the image of the Madonna which then began to bleed. In just a few years, the place became a pilgrimage site, attracting the attention of Charles Emanuel I of Savoy who commissioned the construction of a large sanctuary in 1596 from his court architect Ascanio Vittozzi. The building, however, was only completed in the 19th century. Valuable 18th century frescoes cover a surface area of over 6,000 m2 and decorate the imposing elliptical cupola designed by architect Francesco Gallo, the largest of its genre and the fifth biggest in the world.
Film Commission Torino Piemonte
Via Cagliari 42 — 10153 Torino
Phone: +39 011 2379201
Fax: +39 011 2379298
Email: info@fctp.it
