This is a heartwarming place to be

You can reach the sacred place dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie by car or on foot through mountain trails from Ciciliano or Pisoniano. Perched on a cliff of the Monti Prenestini, the Shrine of Mentorella is one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Vergin Mary in Italy and essential destination for pilgrimage. If you walk up the steps that lead to the Cave of St. Benedict, you can read the names of the faithful believers who had a strong bond with the temple. After centuries of abandonment, the sanctuary was saved in the 17th century by the Jesuit father Athanasius Kircher, zealous devotee of Mary who managed to find the necessary funds to restore it by engaging kings and aristocrats from half of Europe! Kircher, “the man who knew everything”, is one of the most amazing characters of the 17th century. Friend of Bernini, Christina of Sweden and Pope Alexander VII, the Jesuit desired his heart to be buried at the foot of the statue of the Madonna. Pope Innocent XIII, a native of Poli, also had his heart buried here in the 18th century. Visit this wonderful place and leave a little piece of your heart!

The gorgeous view that can be enjoyed from this place restores the soul. St. John Paul II said, “This is a place in which man opens to God in a special way. A place far from everything, but at the same time close to nature. I have come to sing the Magnificat.” The Polish Pope loved the Shrine of Mentorella, so much so that it was there that he went on his first official visit. Since the 19th century, the Polish Resurrectionist Fathers have been in charge of the shrine, which houses medieval treasures such as the wooden sculpture of the Madonna, a precious bas-relief depicting the origins of the sanctuary, a silver-plated processional cross, and a Menorah. A haven of peace for anyone!