Montòvolo, a mountain of the Appennino Bolognese, is part of the same complex mountainous area as Monte Vigese. It is within the Parco provinciale di Montovolo-Vigese, a protected area extending about 34 hectares and established in 1972. Montòvolo is famous for the Santuario della Santa Maria della Consolazione di Montòvolo on its slopes. The Santuario della Santa Maria della Consolazione di Montòvolo was rebuilt during the 13th century by the maestri comacini.
It conserves part of the old construction (the absidi, the monofores and the capitals) and numerous devotional frescoes from the Quattrocento. A meridian can be observed on the campanile of the Santuario della Santa Maria della Consolazione di Montòvolo. Montòvolo was a place of cult from the pagan era. The Oratorio di Santa Caterina di Alessandria is present at the top of Montòvolo and dates back to the 13th century. It conserves fourteenth-century frescoes created by some Tuscan painters depicting Santa Caterina, a Crucifixion and a Judgment Day.
Local products such as fungi and truffles can be tasted in the area. The Santuario della Santa Maria della Consolazione di Montòvolo is accessible only on pre-booking. Montòvolo is a mountain of historical and artistic importance, reached only after a walk through the woods. The Santuario della Santa Maria della Consolazione di Montòvolo is an example of the work of the maestri comacini, a group of artists from the commune of Como, who constructed numerous temples across northern Italy between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The monastery, with its frescoes depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, is a testament to the religious devotion of the area. The Oratorio di Santa Caterina di Alessandria, a smaller building situated at the top of Montòvolo, contains fourteenth-century frescoes created by some Tuscan painters. These depict scenes of the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria, a popular saint in the region.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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