Madonna del Ghisallo Chapel: Cyclists' Sacred Pilgrimage Summit

The Story of Madonna del Ghisallo Chapel

The tale goes that a painting, by an anonymous 16th century painter, depicting Madonna nursing infant Jesus was found in a nearby forest.

This image was then turned into a catholic shrine by the people who lived in this forgotten hill top place.

The count Ghisallo, who ruled the area at the time, was threatened by bandits and came to pray at the shrine. The Madonna saved him from these bandits and word got out about this incident.

Since then, the shrine has been known as the Madonna del Ghisallo. A chapel was built around the shrine some 400 years ago.

Probably at first due to its location, which is on a steep and difficult to access hill top, the chapel gained on popularity with travelers and already during the 17th century, people would travel there as part of a religious pilgrimage.

In 1947, a priest from Milan, Don Ermelindo, had the brilliant idea to turn the Madonna del Ghisallo into a cycling shrine. He involved famous cycling champions at the time, including Bartali and Coppi.

The idea was brought to the pope, who then proclaimed the Madonna of Ghisallo as the patroness of Italian cycling.

The cyclists gifted a torch during the October cycling rally in 1948, which stands now right in front of the Madonna image. This torch must remain lit at all times.

Cyclists from all over the world take the challenge of the winding, challenging road up from lake como and the image of the mother Mary is said to bring comfort to those who take this struggling path.

When I entered the chapel, I was blown away because it's nothing like I had ever seen. The inner sanctum is decorated with legendary cycles, jerseys, and trophies. It's somewhat surreal.

We were lucky, to get in during the sunset hours in October into the chapel because the caretakers had just unlocked the doors of the chapel.

During daytime hours, you can visit the nearby cycling museum, which is a treasure trove of information for all cycling enthusiasts.

Location

The two arms of lake como are split by the pre-alpine mountains of the Vallassina valley. The road up from the shores of lake como is very steep and winding.

At the top lies the serene village of Ghisallo where no Tourists go.

If you are coming from Bellagio, the chapel is to the left, just at the entrance of the village.

There is plenty of parking space, a cool cyclist museum, and a chill Italian diner with decent food and prices. Don't forget to take in the unforgettable Lake Como view.