Feast of Our Lady of the Woods

The sanctuary on the Adda

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Woods is located in the Municipality of Imbersago, in the province of Lecco, in a panoramic position above the Adda River. Linked to a tradition of apparition and miracle, it has been an important place of pilgrimage for the faithful of the area and the Archdiocese of Milan for centuries. Its famous Holy Staircase, which pilgrims ascend in prayer, is one of the sanctuary's most characteristic features.

Eleven days of celebration

The Feast of Our Lady of the Woods spans about eleven days in May, with an intense and predominantly religious program. Solemn Masses, Rosaries along the Holy Staircase, moments of meditation, organ concerts, and conferences alternate. The festival involves various priests and prelates, in a crescendo that culminates in the central days with the blessing of children and the pontifical Mass.

Devotion and popular tradition

Alongside the spiritual dimension, the festival retains a popular character: a fair with stands and stalls accompanies the celebrations, and events like the community lunch strengthen the bonds among the faithful. It is this coexistence of faith and social life that makes the festival such a heartfelt event, capable of attracting pilgrims and visitors from all over the region.

A beloved Lombard place

For Imbersago and the entire province of Lecco, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Woods is a reference point for identity and spirituality. The May festival represents the time of year when this bond is most intensely manifested, uniting Marian devotion with the beauty of the Adda landscape, along paths also dear to Leonardo da Vinci.