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Sanctuary
of “Beata Vergine della creta e delle grazie” is situated at the
entrance of the little town of Castellazzo Bormida, in the province
of Alessandria. Its history his linked to the event of the great
plague described by the Manzoni. The pious Giovanni Viola, ordered
the building of a little countryside church in 1631, perhaps in
order to ask for the Virgin’s protection or to thank Her not to
be contaminated by the plague. He was helped by other devoted
people and the church was erected in an area 100mq. Wide. It had
a tower bell containing only one bell and the ceiling was made
of wood chest of drawers artistically engraved in the same way
as the old primitive churches. On the church altar a picture of
the “Virgin Mary” was exposed and it was attributed the title
of “Beata Vergine della creta”. We can admire this picture even
today as it is on the main altar of the church itself. Different
opinions are given as regards the origin of the picture, the most
probable one is that Viola had commissioned the work to an unknown
artist, who was probably inspired by the sanctuary of “Sacred
Mount” in Crea in Monferrato (Piedmont).When the founder died,
the little church, already damaged was demolished in 1764 and
the picture of the Virgin was taken to another church. Despite
the church did not exist anymore, a lot of religious people coming
to Alessandria, stopped in that sacred place to pray, so the Archbishop
ordered the building of a brick pillar and charged the painter
Giovanni Battista Bagliani from Bergamasco to paint there
the image of the Virgin Lady (the painting is still visible in
the rotunda on the side of the Sanctuary); it was in 1781. The
building of a new church started with a project of 1797, but the
work was interrupted due to the famous battle of Marengo (1800)
and the area destined to the building was transformed into a cemetery
for the French injured people of Napoleon. In 1842 the work started
again and the new sanctuary was blessed on 8th November
1846 by the Bishop of Alessandria, the image of the Blesses Virgin
came back to her seat and in addition a rotunda was internally
built within the church itself.
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