Chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo

Located at the top of a hill overlooking Lake Como, this shrine is one of the most famous places for cyclists. The chapel dates from the 17th century and is unique among the shrines in Italy since it’s dedicated to cyclists.

At the end of the Second World War, the rector of the small sanctuary, Don Ermelindo Viganò, and the professional cyclists of that time presented an application to Pope Pius XII for the Virgin of Ghisallo to become the patron saint of cyclists. And so it happened on October 13, 1949. For the occasion, the great Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi concluded the relay that carried the perennial torch blessed by the Pope from Castelgandolfo to Ghisallo.

The name of the Madonna del Ghisallo has become synonymous with cycling and connected to great champions, such as Fiorenzo Magni, Alfredo Binda, Francesco Moser, Marco Pantani, Eddy Merckx, Mario Cipollini, Cadel Evans, and many others. The greatest cyclist ever gave their bikes, shirts, and awards to the Chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo.

Reference: Credere

Note: The images on this page were captured with the Leica Q2 Monochrom and processed using Capture One 22.

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