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View of the Chapel

Cappella dell'Assunta

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The Assunta Chapel (in English Lady of the Assumption Chapel) is situated in Montanera, nearby Cuneo. It is also known as Madonna Lunga (in English long Virgin Mary) because of the dimensions of her body in the depiction in the apse.[1]

The church is mentioned in the "Itinerari del sacro" (in English Routes of the sacred), a touristic itinerary concerning the religious sites in the province of Cuneo.[2]

History

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The chapel dates to the XII century. Around it, the community built the first residential settlement in 1240s of what will be later called Montanera. It was destroyed together with the village in 1363, but the people soon engaged in the rebuilding of the church, so that in 1462 the chapel was again reusable. Indeed, there used to be a writing dating back to that year which stated this church was made in order to attain liberation of Montanera from the danger of calamity.[3]

Interior

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Main features

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The Chapel has medieval frescoes dating back to the XV and XVI centuries. There are three effigies representing different versions of Our Lady: Our Lady of Mercy, Our Lady nursing the Child Jesus and the glorious Madonna enthroned. Over the years, the population has brought and hung up the chapel many votive offerings, in order to thank the intercession of the Virgin in a difficult situation. So, the Virgin Mary the people commonly addressed to was very likely the version of Our Lady as a mother.

In the apse the Our Lady of Mercy is depicted protecting men and women from the Christ of scourges, who is about to shoot three arrows to punish the sins of humanity. These arrows symbolize the three medieval calamities: war, epidemic and plague. The author of these paintings is unknown, but several cycles of frescoes attributed to the same author have been discovered in the neighbouring territories, especially in the churches of Madonna dei Boschi in Boves and in Santa Caterina in Villanova Mondovì.[4]

  1. ^ "Montanera (CN) : Cappella – santaurio di Santa Maria Assunta detta "Madonna Lunga"". archeocarta.org. Retrieved 15 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Itinerari del Sacro" (PDF). Retrieved 15 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Dalmasso Manuela; Masera Tommaso (2007). Memorie Storiche di Montanera - a l'umbra 'dla tiglia s'le rive de Stura. pp. 13–15.
  4. ^ Quasimodo, Francesca (6 March 2001). Direttore responsabile d. Marino (ed.). AFFRESCHI MEDIEVALI A MADONNA LUNGA. Comunità in cammino - Bollettino Interparrocchiale. Cuneo: Ghibaudo Cuneo. pp. 21–22.