At 1,520 m asl, there is the most important pilgrimage site of South Tyrol: the pilgrimage church of Madonna di Pietralba (Wallfahrtskirche Maria Weissenstein). The basilica rises majestically above the Val d’Ega, near Monte San Pietro. Here, in 1553, the Virgin Mary appeared to the hermit Leonhard Weissensteiner after he fell into a deep gorge. Leonhard built a chapel in honour of the Virgin Mary, which was soon enlarged to become today’s Baroque building. The imposing convent was added later. In 1885, the then Bishop of Trento, Giovanni Giacomo della Bona, again consecrated the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The numerous votive offerings bear witness to the large number of pilgrims who visit the Sanctuary every year. Among the artistic treasures of the basilica are the high altar with gold and silver leaves, and the frescoes by the artist Adam Mölk. Two chapels belong to the Sanctuary: the original chapel inside the church, and outside, the Chapel of St. Peregrine Laziosi, patron saint of cancer patients.
In 1925, the Sanctuary of Pietralba was given to the Order of the Servants of Mary. In the summer of 1988, this place became famous thanks to the visit of Pope John Paul II. Already Pope John Paul I appreciated the Sanctuary of Madonna di Pietralba as a summer resort.
