Sofia Gastaldo
3 → Miele dalla Pietra
This photographic project was developed thanks to the Ivano Bolondi Scholarship, commissioned by the Centro Italiano della Fotografia d’Autore (CIFA). It is an exploration of the Santuario di Santa Maria del Sasso in Bibbiena.
The sanctuary is known for the legend of two mirrored Madonnas: the Madonna del Sasso and the Madonna del Buio. According to tradition, in 1347, the Virgin Mary appeared to a seven-year-old girl named Caterina on a particular rock. This rock, notable for a white dove that perched upon it for over a month, became the focal point of the apparition. Following this event, a chapel was constructed around the rock, which later evolved into the current sanctuary.
The Madonna del Buio, a revered wooden statue from the early 15th century, is housed in the crypt of the sanctuary. This statue is associated with numerous miracles.
The process opened up reflections on the fragility of our sentimental heritage—on what we risk losing when spaces of devotion and community are left to fade. This work becomes a way of touching, however lightly, on the erosion.