Vicoforte

Vicoforte is a commune in the Province of Cuneo in Italy. it is located above 598 meters above sea level and is 32 km from Cuneo.

The Basilica Regina Montis Regalis

The Pilone della Madonna painting

Paintings on the cupola

It is known mainly for the Basilica-Sanctuary Regina Montis Regalis built between 1596 and 1733 by the religious population of the area to honour the Virgin Mary.

The Bishop of Mondovì Castrucci and Carlo Emanuele I sponsored the building with the intent of celebrating the Holy Mary and make it the tomb for the kings of Savoy. Author of the project and of the lower part, neoclassic and built in sandstone, is the architect Ascanio Vitozzi from Orvieto. The upper part, baroque and built in cotto, was made by Francesco Gallo, famous architect from Mondovì and is considered his masterpiece.

The legend tells that on the place of the basilica at the end of the XV century a simple and rustical column was built and decorated with an anonymous painting of the Holy Mary and her son known as the Pilone della Madonna.

In 1592 a hunter accidentaly shot the painting and since then the popular belief attributed to the painting miracolous properties, healings and conversions. The word spread quickly and in a few years pilgrims from all over Europe came to visit the miracolous painting. The Bishop of Mondovì moved by the view of so many pilgrims (more than 10.000 on some days) on 1596 published the result of the enquiries on 240 allegedly miracolous facts and with the approval of pope Clement VIII announced the decision to build a temple to honour the Virgin Mary around the column.

Various architects presented their projects and the King Carlo Emanuele I of Savoy during his visit in 1596 choose an elliptical cupola design with four chapels in the corners to be used in his intentions as tombs for the House of Savoy. The Sanctuary eventually became one of the most admired and visited marian centers to this days.

The rifle used by the hunter is conserved in the museum and the shot can be seen as a white round sign under the left hand of the Virgin Mary.

It features the biggest elliptical cupola in the world:

major axis m. 37,15; 
height m. 75; 
perimeter m. 250.

It is decorated with mq 6032 of paintings with a single theme the Holy Mary reprenting three Italian painting schools: "Veneta" (Mattia Bortoloni), "Bolognese", " Milanese".

St. Francis of Sales visited the basilica in 1604 and a chapel inside the temple is dedicated to him.

In 1812 the temple was depredated by the French troops.