Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Vertighe

Just two kilometers from the historic center of Monte San Savino stands the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Vertighe, a place of deep Marian devotion whose origins date back to the 16th century. Restored in 1943, the church retains elements of its original structure and an intact spiritual charm.

Legend tells of a miracle performed by the Virgin, who is said to have miraculously transferred from Asciano a votive chapel frescoed with a Madonna in a mandorla. From this event arose the centuries-old veneration of the Madonna delle Vertighe, proclaimed in 1964 Patroness of the Autostrada del Sole (A1), Italy’s main highway.

The building features a gabled façade with an oculus and a portico supported by hexagonal pillars, reached by a scenic staircase framed by cypress trees. The stone-and-brick bell tower, attributed to Sansovino, combines Renaissance elegance with medieval strength.

Inside, the three-aisled church houses extraordinary works of art: on the high altar, the famous wooden triptych of the Madonna delle Vertighe by Margarito and Ristoro of Arezzo (1274 or 1283), and near the altar of Saint Francis, a painted Crucifix by Lorenzo Monaco (1415–1420), a masterpiece of intense spirituality.