Church of Visitazione della Beata Vergine di Riviera

The oldest stone-built sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Santerno Valley.

The Church of Riviera is believed to date back to the 14th century, although some sources indicate that work may have begun as early as 1200. Its dedication to the Virgin was brought about by a group of traders who travelled the route linking the Santerno Valley to Florence, an area devastated by the struggles between

Guelphs and Ghibellines. One evening, tormented by the weeping of a woman in black who was grieving for loved ones killed in the conflict, they decided to lay down their arms and devote themselves to the veneration of Mary.

Inside the Sanctuary - which requires major restoration work - visitors can admire the frescoes that decorate the church vaults. The fresco in the apse is particularly significant as it gives the Sanctuary its name. Ascribed to Bernardino da Tossignano, it depicts Mary visiting Elizabeth, together with Joseph and Zechariah, husband of Elizabeth.

From clues scattered among what remains of the frescoes, key names in the history of Italian art emerge: Iacopo Bellini painted a panel for the Sanctuary (now in the Brera Art Gallery, Milan), while other works can be attributed to the Tintoretto family and possibly Titian himself.