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Magreglio

Madonna del Ghisallo

The sanctuary of the cyclists' patron saint on the Ghisallo pass, with champions' bicycles hanging inside.

Visit duration
30 min – 1 h 30
Booking
Not required
Area
The Triangle
Inside the Ghisallo sanctuary, champions' bicycles hung beneath the vault and jerseys on the walls.Maurizio Moro5153 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Maurizio Moro5153 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Ilaria provenzi · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Inside the Ghisallo sanctuary, champions' bicycles hung beneath the vault and jerseys on the walls.

Maurizio Moro5153 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why go

The sanctuary of the Madonna del Ghisallo stands on the pass of the same name, at 754 metres, in the municipality of Magreglio, at the top of the climb from Bellagio.

The church was built in 1623 in place of an older building, of which the bell tower remains; in 1681 a three-arched porch was added in front. It keeps a painting of the Virgin. In 1949 Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Madonna del Ghisallo patroness of cyclists, and since then riders have left bicycles, jerseys, photographs and medals in the church as votive offerings. Among the bicycles are those of Fausto Coppi and Francesco Moser. When the small church ran out of room for them, the Cycling Museum was built next door and opened in 2006. On the forecourt stand busts of Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi.

  • Champions' bicycles hanging in the chapel
  • The Cycling Museum next door
  • The view over the Lecco branch and the Grigna from the pass

Highlights

  • The chapel of the cyclists' patron saint
  • The cycling monument on the forecourt

Getting there

  • Ten kilometres uphill by bike from Bellagio; C136 bus from Bellagio; car to the pass.
The square seen from under the sanctuary's portico, between its granite columns: the paving, the lawn with its big trees and the mountains on the right.Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Accessibility

  • The sanctuary's entrance is wheelchair accessible, and so is the car park.

On the map

Explore the lake
MagreglioOliveto LarioMadonna del Ghisallo

© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL

Nearby: places, experiences, services

Distances as the crow flies.

Sources and credits

Sources and credits