Reaching the Madonna d’Europa of Motta is an experience that fills you with a sense of vastness. The panorama unfolds at 2,000 metres above sea level, and with it comes a feeling of protection and spiritual belonging. The construction of the sanctuary was a vision of Don Luigi Re, a Milanese priest who in the 1920s transformed Motta from a mountain pasture into a tourist destination. The history of the Sanctuary is closely bound to the Casa Alpina of Motta, built by Don Re as a holiday retreat for young people. During the Second World War, the priest worked tirelessly to save Jews and partisans, sheltering them and helping them reach Switzerland. It was in that context that the idea of a place of worship dedicated to Our Lady of Europe was born.
The colossal statue of the Virgin is a 15-metre-tall work crafted in copper by sculptor Egidio Casagrande. As it appeared too dark once completed, it was decided to cover it in gold leaf, crafted by skilled goldsmiths. Beside the statue stand a crypt, an altar, and a staircase facing the Casa Alpina di Motta. The mountain peaks have a rare gift: they bring us closer to our sense of the divine, rising above human fragility and barbarism, drawing us back to the spirit that governs all things; and perhaps forgives them all.
Bitto is produced exclusively in summer, above 1,400 metres of altitude, when the herds reach the mountain pastures of Valtellina. It can age for over 10 years and, as time passes, its aroma and texture evolve.
