ITALIA	ITALY
regione: Liguria
provincia: Genova

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The Santuario di Nostra Signora della Guardia (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Guard) is located at an elevation of 804 m on the summit of Monte Figogna above the valley of the river Polcevera. Madonna della Guardia is part of the municipality of Ceranesi.

The site probably goes back to a chapel founded prior to the 13th century. The first apparition of Our Lady, depicted in the top part of the picture on glass no. 2347, purportedly took place on 29 August 1490 (or 1487). The first sanctuary was built in 1528–1530. The present basilica (49 m long, 26 m wide) was built in 1857–1890. The campanile (45 m high) was rebuilt in 1899. In 1915 the sanctuary was granted the status of a Basilica minor by Pope Benedict XV. In 1969 the basilica became a parish in its own right. Pope John Paul II visited the basilica in 1985.

(see also list of other basilicae minores depicted on glasses of this collection)