The Old Sacristy

Just after the stairwell leading to the bell tower, the Old Sacristy opens up, a room with Gothic lines in which two monumental altarpieces by Giuseppe Bazzani are preserved, depicting the Virgin, purchased by the sanctuary during the 20th century and for some time exhibited in the apse of the temple. Also among the paintings, there are two particularly valuable canvases: a Saint Margaret of Alexandria and a Mystical Allegory. They are the work of a refined seventeenth-century nun painter: Orsola Maddalena Caccia, originally from Moncalvo, in the Monferrato area, and a daughter of art. The two paintings are among the artist's masterpieces and were discovered in 2012 in the Sanctuary's storerooms; after careful restoration, they will be presented in a major exhibition dedicated to women painters held in 2021 in the Palazzo Reale in Milan. Architecturally, the space shows Gothic lines, enhanced by the latest restoration and enriched by the wooden furniture.

For further information click here: Sanctuary bibliography and insights