From Genoa, you can take a cute little train up the mountain and when I got off I just looked up towards Mount Figogna and I was captured by its majestic appearance.
The sanctuary
The place was founded in the 15th century by farmer Benedetto Pareto who claimed he saw the Virgin Mary on this site and claimed the Virgin asked him to build a chapel on this hill.
The growing devotion to the Madonna della Guardia (Virgin Mary of the Guardian) and the increasingly numerous pilgrimages on foot led to the construction of the current church and sanctuary in 1890 to welcome visitors.
Today the place also offers a shelter to those who make a pilgrimage and come on foot and there is even a restaurant nearby.
You can also reach the sanctuary by car and, a few times a day, the sanctuary is served by a public bus.
There is a large car park in the area under the chapel of the apparition and by leaving your car there you can follow the last stretch of the traditional pilgrimage on foot.
The Italian Hiking Club suggests six itineraries to reach the sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia starting from various locations.
Each of us experiences our pilgrimage differently. To be honest, it would be enough to park in the recommended area and limit yourself to completing the last stretch which, among other things, is the most evocative and most challenging of the entire itinerary.
Much of the ancient mule track that led from the Polcevera valley to the Madonna della Guardia has over time been replaced by asphalted roads and the route I had to follow was marked with two solid red triangles like most paths in Italy back roads.
There are also some road signs indicating the presence of the pedestrian path which allows you to avoid the traffic present especially on weekends.
The inside of the church at the sanctuary
I reached and passed the church of San Bernardo in the Livellato hamlet and then I slowly climbed higher and higher, closer and closer to the destination.
The last kilometer is the toughest but also the most evocative of the entire itinerary as I mentioned.
Stone slabs engraved with the evangelical beatitudes are here to be read by passersby. These, in addition to the benches placed in strategic points and the beautiful views overlooking the valley, make the walk truly pleasant.
I made a brief stop in front of the chapel of the apparition.
I arrived in front of the sanctuary a little soaked from the rain but I had plenty of time to visit the basilica, have a slow lunch and also marvel at the characteristic nativity scene made with poor materials such as roots, sticks, hazelnut shells, bark, and enriched by complicated animation systems.
At this point, I could walk back down proud of my short, but intense, pilgrimage.
Rose syrup, a typical product of the sanctuary
Last but no least I would like to mention that there are many ex-voto offerings in the sanctuary.
They are collected as an authentic testimony of love and faith, gathered in the rooms dedicated to them, the votive offerings of the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia recall human events and are the memory of dangers escaped and joys rediscovered thanks to the merciful help of Mary.
Each picture and object is a story, each leads to a life which was offered a second chance.
They are stories of serious illnesses, of terrible accidents and of outstretched hands that found help.
In the windows there are numerous silver hearts or other objects that recall different types of events.
