Since ancient times it has been a place of meditation and prayer: the Pietra di Bismantova, a 1,041 metre high mountain in the municipality of Castelnovo ne’ Monti (Reggio Emilia), has the shape of a narrow plateau with steep walls, which stands out isolated among the Apennine peaks. Dante Alighieri (who mentions the Pietra di Bismantova in the Divine Comedy) would have personally visited the place and would have drawn inspiration from it for the description of the Mount of Purgatory. The sanctuary, situated near the summit, preserves noteworthy fifteenth-century frescoes and among these stands out a valuable image of the Madonna and Child, the work of Emilian masters.
