Church of the Madonna della Neve

The Church of the Madonna della Neve is at the top of a small hill in Lacona, in the Commune of Capoliveri.,

Although the architecture is typical of the 1700s, the original building dates back to the Romanesque-Pisan period of the XII century.

The structure of the Sanctuary is very simple: it consists of a single, rectangular shaped nave, a steeple with a pyramid shaped top, and the sacristy built on top of what was once a hermitage. The Church takes its name from the miracle that happened in Rome about 350 AD, while Pope Liberio was in office. On August 5th, after a heavy snow fall over Colle Esquilino, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was built.

As far as its history is concerned, the Romanesque Church was rebuilt in the second part of the XVI century, and from then onwards it underwent several exterior and interior changes, for example, the façade was made bigger. The care of the Sanctuary was then handed over to the hermits but unfortunately it was ransacked more than once, above all during the occupation of the French and English troops towards the end of the 1700s.

When it was renovated in 1951, remains of the Romanesque building came to the surface, like the ancient wall on the southern side with its typical rows of rough hewn ashlars, as well as what was left of a secondary door in the central wall.

Today the Church is under the care of the parish of Capoliveri, but they only open it to the public on special occasions.