Baragazza: Churches, Art and Pilgrimages
Accommodation in Baragazza
Baragazza between San Michele and Boccadirio
Baragazza brings together sacred architectural history, works of art and religious pilgrimage traditions. The Church of San Michele Arcangelo dates back to 1788. In the Baragazza district of Castiglione dei Pepoli, you will also find the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie di Boccadirio at Via Boccadirio 22. Those wishing to explore the area's historical highlights will find various points of interest here: a church with remarkable furnishings, a sanctuary with a long architectural history and recurring pilgrimage events.
File:Castiglione dei Pepoli - frazione Baragazza.jpg
Photo: Sergey Ashmarin via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
San Michele Arcangelo and its furnishings
Several dates and artists' names can be linked to the Church of San Michele Arcangelo. The bell tower was built between 1852 and 1867 by Giuseppe Brighenti. The organ dates from 1791 and was created by Pietro Agati. The altarpiece dedicated to the Archangel Michael is a work by Pietro Fancelli from 1792; shortly afterwards, it was extensively reworked by Giovanni Pancaldi. The organ and altarpiece both date from the late 18th century, while the bell tower was not built until the 19th century. Together, these architectural elements and works reflect different periods of creation within the church, whose history is not confined to a single era.
Boccadirio: Architectural history and sacred art
The church of the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie di Boccadirio was built towards the end of the 16th century with a three-nave layout. The present-day arches and façade date from renovations carried out in 1770 and towards the end of the 19th century. The cloister also has its own architectural feature: the loggia surrounding the cloister of the Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie di Boccadirio was built in the 17th century.
Cloister and natural surroundings
The cloister of the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie di Boccadirio is surrounded by unspoilt nature. The cloister therefore brings together a 17th-century structure and unspoilt nature.
Madonna delle Grazie and pilgrimage dates
The main altar of the church of the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie di Boccadirio stands at the site of the Marian apparition of 1480. The sanctuary also houses a white-and-blue maiolica bas-relief by Andrea Della Robbia depicting the standing Madonna with Child. Every year in August, the Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie di Boccadirio becomes a destination for pilgrimages by thousands of faithful. During the Rogation Days in May, the icon returns every year to the Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Baragazza, where it remains until Ascension Day. When planning around Boccadirio, there are two time windows to consider: the Rogation Days in May up to Ascension Day and the pilgrimages in August.
Baragazza on the Via Mater Dei
The fifth stage of the Via Mater Dei passes through the Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie di Boccadirio and then reaches Baragazza.
If you would like to include more places in your travel plans, you can also find: Granaglione, Valsamoggia, San Benedetto Val Di Sambro, Scuola, Sala Bolognese, Argelato, Varignana-Palesio and Farneto.
For the overarching travel overview: Bologna.
