A Beautiful 14th Century Sanctuary Up on the Hills of Montenero in Livorno
Inside the The Shrine of Our Lady of Grace (also known as the Sanctuary of Montenero) on the Monte Nero Hills, just outside of Livorno, Italy.
Our group took the bus from Livorno to the town of Montenero, which was just a 25-minute ride. We then took the funicular (an inclined plane railway tram) to the top of the hill where the sanctuary is located.
It was a Thursday, and already late in the afternoon when we arrived, so the place was pretty much empty. The patios around the piazza had a few people sitting around having coffee.
We went into the church, which was almost empty as well; a good thing because it was so quiet and peaceful, and we were able to pray solemnly.
After saying some prayers, we walked around and marvelled at the beautiful artworks inside the church. The altar was simple but beautiful, and the paintings and artworks above the main doors were simply impressive.
At the piazza, there was a viewing deck overlooking the Livorno skyline. We enjoyed the magnificent sunny afternoon view to the west, with the blazing orange sunlight reflecting on the waters of the Livorno Bay. As always, we took some pictures of the view (always a good idea to have a decent camera with you). Very much worth the visit; we wished that we could stay for the early evening to see the Livorno skyline by night while having dinner at one of the patios in the piazza, but we already had something scheduled for that evening. A highly recommended destination when you are in Livorno, Italy.
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