Santuario Di Montecastello (Sanctuary)

For the Holy Year 2025 ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, the Sanctuary becomes a Jubilee Church!

One of the best-loved places of worship and pilgrimage on Lake Garda, the church has been indicated by the diocese as a place in which pilgrims can obtain plenary indulgence for the Jubilee of Hope 2025.

Come and learn more about its artistic and religious value, and immerse yourself in the natural beauty and rich tradition of the local area!

For all information on the Jubilee 2025 visit the official website.

One of the symbols of Upper Garda Lake, rising in all its beauty on a rocky outcrop overlooking the lake: this is the Montecastello Shrine in Tignale!

Built on the ruins of a small temple later transformed into a castle, the Sanctuary of Montecastello is also known as the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Stella (Our Lady of the Star) by virtue of the luminous apparition of the Celestial Queen who put an end to a bloody battle in Tignale in 1200.

There are two floors accessible from the outside: the ground floor is the oldest part, while the church is on the first floor and contains  the Casa Santa (Holy House), a small temple dating back to 800 A.D. and home to the miraculous image of the Blessing of the Virgin by the school of Giotto. The sanctuary also houses the largest ex-voto in Europe, dated 1600.

The elevated view over Lake Garda is spectacular, stretching from Monte Baldo to the Sirmione peninsula.

How to get there and useful info

From the road to Garda, follow the signs for Tignale and park on the road between Olzano and Prabione, at the first Capitello della Via Crucis (574 m). From here, you can make the steep climb to the sanctuary in about 30 minutes.

In the low season, you can travel up by car, parking in the square in front of the building. Please note that the road is, however, very steep, with hairpin bends and narrow parts by the rock face.

For information and opening hours, visit tignale.org.