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Madonna del Sorbo Sanctuary: the church born from a castle on the Via Francigena
The Madonna del Sorbo (Our Lady of Sorbo) Sanctuary stands on the top of a cliff in the Valle del Sorbo, between Campagnano di Roma and Formello, in the Park of Veio. It is a historic stopping-off point on the Via Francigena, 20 km from Rome: a place where a medieval fortress became, over the centuries, a shrine for pilgrims. And it is still active today.
From castle to convent
In 996, a diploma written by Otto III mentions a "castellum quod dicitur Sorbi." From the 11th to the 14th century, the castle passed first to the Monastery of San Paolo and then to the Orsini family. In 1427, Pope Martin V granted what were now ruins to the Carmelite friars, who built a convent and a church dedicated to the Madonna. The date 1487 is carved on the lintel of the portal — the year the church took the form we see today.
The legend of the swineherd
Tradition tells of a pig keeper, missing a hand, who followed a sow to a sorb tree. Among the branches, the Madonna appeared, made his hand grow back, and asked that a sanctuary be built.
What you can see inside
The interior is divided into three naves, with tuff columns and a wooden truss ceiling. There are two altars from 1682 designed by Carlo Fontana, while the original icon of the Madonna and Child (11th–13th century) is now kept in the Parish Museum of Campagnano.
