SANTUARIO DI MONTEVERGINE

Perched in the Parthenio massif at an altitude of 1,270 m, the sanctuary attracts over two million pilgrims every year to pray to the Virgin Mary and San Guglielmo de Vercelli, the founder of the first monastery in the ^12th century. Until the ^15th century, the site housed the relics of St. Januarius, the patron saint of Naples. Later, when the Second World War broke out, the Holy Shroud was moved here for safekeeping. Today, the vast and imposing structure is occupied by Benedictine monks. You can visit the ancient basilica, the modern basilica and the museum, and enjoy the vast panorama: on a clear day, you can see all the way to the island of Ischia.

The ancient basilica. Built in the first half of the ^17th century by Neapolitan architect Gian Giacomo Conforti, it replaces the church founded by San Guglielmo. The portal, however, is older: Gothic in style, it dates back to the ^13th century. The choir features a high altar covered with Florentine gemstone mosaics and ^16th-century carved wooden stalls. The chapel of the Madonna di Vercelli preserves a ^13th-century painting on wood of the Virgin and Child, which has been the object of intense devotion for centuries.

The modern basilica. The relics of San Guglielmo de Vercelli are preserved beneath the altar of this imposing building, begun in 1952.

The museum. It houses some very interesting pieces, in particular sculptures and bas-reliefs from Roman and medieval times: sarcophagi, recumbent figures, furniture and a ^13th-century wooden Christ. The painting collection includes works by some of the great names in regional painting, such as Luca Giordano and Andrea Vaccaro, and period copies of paintings by Caravaggio and Veronese. Liturgical furnishings are also on display.

Palazzo abbaziale di Loreto. In the valley at Mercogliano, this is a magnificent ^18th-century Baroque building designed by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro. Only part of the first floor and the pharmacy, with its collection of majolica vases, can be visited (Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings by appointment only); the rest of the building is still occupied by monks following a claustral discipline. Don't miss the harmonious cortile, where classical music concerts are sometimes held.