Visit the Montevergine Shrine of Avellino

The Montevergine Shrine is in Mercogliano, 19 km away from the Avellino city centre.

It is a very popular place of worship and a famous destination of pilgrimage for hundreds of believers coming from South Italy, located at an altitude of more than 1200 metres above sea level on the top of the Partenio mount.

The Montevergine Shrine was founded by Guglielmo da Vercelli, a noble man that chose to spend the rest of his life as a hermit on the Partenio mount after walking the Camino de Santiago.

Many people joined him on the mount to devote their lives to penance and prayer. So, in 1124, a church dedicated to Virgin Mary was founded.

The Montevergine shrine complex includes the Gothic-style Basilica Antica (Ancient Church) with its beautiful Gothic-style white marble gate, and the Modern-Romanesque-style three-naves Basilica Cattedrale (Cathedral Church) that houses the Choir made of olive tree and walnut tree wood and the painting of the Virgin Mary that dates back to the Angevin period.

The main altar is a true gem, with its inlay works made of agate, nacre and lapis lazulis; the pipe organs kept inside the cathedrals are gems as well.

Inside the complex there are three chapels, the Madonna di Montevergine chapel, the cappella della schiodazione (Unnailing chapel) and the cappella del torrione (Big tower chapel), and the cripta di San Guglielmo (San Guglielmo crypt) that keeps the remains of the Saint.

Believer or not, this place is worth a visit for the incredible peace you can feel there and the great impression.

To reach the Montevergine shrine by car you have to drive along the A16 NA-Canosa highway, take the exit signposted Avellino ovest and proceed along the SP88 provincial road towards Montevergine.

Once you get to Ospedaletto d’Alpinolo take the SS88 state road towards Montevergine, just be careful as this road twists and turns. If you leave Salerno by car, drive along the A3 highway, proceed along the E841 road towards A2-Atripalda, then keep going along the E842 road and take the SP88 provincial road towards Montevergine. Once you get to Ospedaletto d’Alpinolo take the SS88 state road towards Montevergine, just be careful as this road twists and turns.

If you travel by train, whereas, you just have to take a regional train to Avellino. Once you get to the Avellino train station, take the line 3 bus and get off at Mercogliano. In Mercogliano you can take the funicular to reach the Montevergine shrine; the return ticket is € 8,00.