Monserrato Sanctuary

The Sanctuary of Madonna di Monserrato is located on a rocky spur, in a very characteristic setting among cypress trees, agaves, and Mediterranean scrub, from which one can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the valley below.

The sanctuary has an irregular rectangular shape; adjacent to it, forming a single structure, is the sacristy. Above the church stands a classical-style dome, topped by a lantern. The belfry is a sail type. The façade is unadorned and clearly shows the modifications it has undergone over time. The portal is surmounted by a broken pediment, and above it is a rectangular window.

Infoelba suggests: Very interesting, on the outside, is the aqueduct that once supplied the sanctuary.

The interior is also bare and lacking architectural features, although the walls, peeling in some areas, reveal traces of underlying frescoes.

On the marble altar is the great attraction of the faithful. It is the painting of the Black Madonna, a copy of the more famous Nuestra Señora Morena kept in the Montserrat sanctuary in Catalonia. Of unknown authorship, it has modest artistic value. It depicts Mary seated on a throne with the Child in her lap. The Virgin, dressed in wide red and blue drapery, holds in her right hand a kind of spherical vase from which a blooming lily plant emerges.

In addition to the Sanctuary, it is possible to visit the cell of the hermitage, the refectory, and the herbarium, all open to the public. A small permanent exhibition displays paintings and drawings entirely dedicated to Monserrato. Another point of interest is the room housing period costumes, along with a corner dedicated to study and reading with a large selection of books on evangelical, hagiographic, and historical-naturalistic topics.

The History

The sanctuary was built as a sign of gratitude in 1606 by José Pons y León of the Dukes of Arcos, Spanish governor of Naples and first governor of the Longone square. While ascending the Tyrrhenian coast, he was caught by a sudden sirocco storm, which made the sea rough and navigation dangerous.

The governor prayed to Nuestra Señora de Montserrat (to whom he was very devoted) to be saved, and after landing safely in the Gulf of Porto Longone, he built the sanctuary in gratitude, dedicated to the Madonna di Monserrato in memory of the homonymous one in Catalonia.

Fun Fact: Even today, on September 8th every year, the Madonna di Monserrato is celebrated in Porto Azzurro.

The sanctuary was built in a small valley on Mount Castello, three kilometers from Porto Azzurro, because the wild place with sharp peaks reminded the governor of "Montserrat" and because there was water.

Don José also took care of the church’s endowment with his will of May 17, 1616. He donated a mill in Reale, land, buildings, and wealth so that the Augustinian Fathers of Piombino would hold a mass there every day. He also donated a copy of the Black Madonna.

In 1759, when the Longone square became part of the Kingdom of Naples, a commission was established to search for the sanctuary's assets. It was found that the property had greatly diminished because part of it was in the possession of others, without any "declaration or indication of how it was alienated". The commission concluded by stating "the copies of the purchase deeds had been lost". It is likely that the lost assets were subject to usurpations or fraudulent sales.

The sanctuary gained fame in the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming a destination for pilgrims: sailors, farmers, and preachers of all kinds. Governor Don Diego d'Alarçon, concerned about the lack of sufficient religious assistance to the soldiers, asked Philip V, in 1722, to send some friars. The king then ordered that a residence be set up for the Fathers of the Ambrosiana of St. Peter of Alcantara, who then resided at Monserrato.

When St. Paul of the Cross established his headquarters on Mount Argentario in 1729, he made several trips to Elba and thought of opening a convent for his order, the Passionists. So, in 1735, he requested permission from the governor to stay at Monserrato. The Augustinian Fathers and other clerics, when consulted, gave a negative opinion. The Passionists made another attempt to obtain Monserrato at the end of the century. The Bishop of Massa asked the clergy of Porto Longone for their opinion, and once again they refused for two reasons: the town was poor and lacked financial resources, so there would be no abundance of alms for the masses; there was no reason to remove the chaplain and the two hermits from the sanctuary.

In September 1814, Napoleon, accompanied by Pons and Bertrand, wanted to visit the sanctuary of Monserrato. The Augustinian monks of Piombino became the owners of the sanctuary, which gradually fell into oblivion until the end of the 19th century, when restoration work began, and the Sanctuary was reopened for worship.