Where is the Shrine of Madonna delle Vittorie in Maserada sul Piave?
The Shrine of Madonna delle Vittorie is located on Via Madonna delle Vittorie, just 350 meters from the parish church of San Giorgio.
The history of the Shrine of Madonna delle Vittorie
Tradition dates back nearly three hundred years to when a young girl, Zanetta Bariviera, witnessed an apparition of the Virgin Mary in Maserada sul Piave, on July 9, 1722. The Blessed Virgin, wrapped in shining golden robes, is said to have appeared before the eyes of the young witness when she was only four years old.
The miraculous vision occurred after the construction of the graceful shrine, commissioned in 1721 by Ambassador Carlo Ruzzini of the Serenissima. The phenomenal apparition is still the subject of solemn celebrations.
Architecture of the Shrine of Madonna delle Vittorie
The sanctuary has a rectangular plan in which two columns and a step separate the nave from the presbytery (the area of Christian worship located at the end of the central nave, dedicated to liturgical functions).
The façade of the Shrine of Madonna delle Vittorie
The evocative façade of the sanctuary, built in exposed brick, features two columns of the Doric order (whose earliest evidence dates back to the 7th century BC).
The entrance and the high altar
The imposing columns flank the majestic entrance door and support the entablature in fine Istrian stone, which is reached via three marble steps.
The sacred icon of Madonna delle Vittorie, to whom the shrine is dedicated, is framed by small marble columns surmounted by the entablature with the classic triangular tympanum.
The central nave
The space is lit by arched windows of polychrome glass enclosed by an archivolt (an ornamental architectural element that follows the profile of an arch) and features splendid secular decorations near the presbytery.
The flooring
The floor of the sacristy is a magnificent example of Venetian terrazzo, a type of flooring whose ancient origins date back to ancient Greece, in which porphyries and colored marbles are cemented with fine lime grit and fine cocciopesto, creating a striking chromatic effect.
The floor of the presbytery and the nave are made of fine red and white marble.
Ornamental elements
Ornamental elements of considerable artistic and historical significance include the cross placed above the tympanum, the wrought-iron pinnacles, and the small bells in the charming bell gable located on the east side.
