Shrine of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde (Perloz)
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Introduction
The Sanctuary of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, located in the municipality of Perloz in Valle d'Aosta, is in a splendid panoramic position at the entrance to the Lys valley, on a slope overlooking Pont-Saint-Martin. This place of worship is shrouded in an ancient tradition that links it to the discovery of a wooden statue of the Madonna and Child, probably hidden during the barbarian invasions and then discovered in the 12th or 13th century. According to legend, the statue, initially taken to the church in Perloz, miraculously returned to the place where it was found, interpreted as the Virgin's wish to be venerated there.
Description
The first chapel was built to house the statue and later enlarged in the 16th century, when the site became a destination for numerous pilgrims. In the 18th century, further interventions led to the construction of the sanctuary in its current form, with a structure designed to accommodate the growing stream of devotees. The façade features an elegant portico supported by four stone columns, framing the entrance portal. In front of the sanctuary, a small square houses a fountain with a mask dated 1642 and a basin carved out of a single block of stone, together with a series of aedicules depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary.
In the interior, the single nave is divided into three bays with ribbed vaults, decorated in 1831 by the Valdostan painters Vittorio Avondo and his brother. The frescoes depict themes from the Old and New Testaments, while the octagonal dome celebrates the four evangelists and the Marian mysteries. On the walls are numerous ex-votos, testimonies of popular devotion, and an oval stone engraved with the IHS christogram and the Vallaise coat of arms, used to collect offerings.
Of particular interest is the 14th-century statue of the Virgin and Child, placed in the centre of the high altar, flanked by the statues of St. Grato and St. Jocund. The sanctuary's three wooden altars, decorated and gilded, are masterpieces of 18th- and 19th-century sacred art. At the rear of the sanctuary is a Romanesque bell tower and the pilgrims' house, with a portico offering a breathtaking view of the plain below.
Every year, on 7 and 8 September, the sanctuary celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Guard. On the eve there is a torchlight procession from the Roman Bridge of Pont-Saint-Martin to the sanctuary, followed by a liturgical celebration. On 8 September, Holy Mass is held, a community lunch of polenta concia and stew, and a Marian Prayer that renews the spiritual bond of the faithful with this place of worship.
The Sanctuary of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde is not only a centre of religious devotion, but also a point of historical and artistic interest, perfectly integrated into the mountain landscape of the Aosta Valley. Its location, fascinating traditions and the art it preserves make it an ideal destination for those seeking spirituality and beauty.