National Shrine to Mary Mother and Queen

The National Shrine of Mary Mother and Queen (in Slovenian Svetiš? e na Vejni) stands on the homonymous mountain, at an altitude of 330 meters, overlooking the Gulf of Trieste.

It was built between 1963 and 1966 by the architect Antonio Guacci and was dedicated to Mary the Queen.

There is no district of Trieste, from which it cannot be seen due to its very peculiar architecture which takes the shape of a triangle that reminds the people of Trieste of the shape of a "cheese".

This Sanctuary of Monte Grisa was commissioned by the Bishop of Trieste, Antonio Santin, as a vow made twenty years earlier for the salvation of the city from the Nazi occupation, which threatened to blow up the port and all communication routes.

In 1959, Pope John XXIII wished that the Temple was dedicated to Mary Mother and Queen as a symbol of peace and unity among all peoples.

From April to September 1959, the "pilgrimage of wonders" was promoted: the statue of Our Lady of Fatima crossed various Italian cities reaching Trieste, welcomed by the archbishop.

On 21 September 1959, two days after his arrival on Mount Grisa, the first stone of the Marian temple was laid. September 20. the holy simulacrum returned to Fatima but some time later the Bishop of Fatima, Mons. Joao Pereira Venancio, brought a copy back to Trieste.

On May 22, 1966 the temple of Monte Grisa received its consecration and since then numerous pilgrimages have begun from Italy but also from abroad.

The sanctuary is made up of two superimposed churches, connected by an internal staircase, respectively the Lower and the Upper that take on the particular shape of a Greek cross, also having an independent entrance.

Click to see, from Yutube, an interesting video of this Marian Shrine.

Inside the Sanctuary you can see the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, very suggestive mosaics, a crucifix by Marcello Mascherini and some bronze sculptures made by Mascherini and Alberti.

From the sanctuary it dominates at three hundred and sixty degrees, all of Trieste and the Karst. If from the square in front the gaze is certainly turned to the Gulf, from the opposite side you can see the nearby border with Slovenia that runs at the base of the town of Monrupino.

For a decade now, the Marian temple has hosted the Gregorian Incanto Choir which, during the liturgies, sings in perfect Gregorian style. Its repertoire, in addition to the normal chants of the Mass, also includes psalms and litanies that encourage spirituality, devotion and the dimension of the Sacred.

Click to watch the live streaming from the Marian Sanctuary of Monte Grisa

Go to the link to find out how to get to Monte Grisa or to know in advance. Its opening hours.

Map: National Shrine to Mary Mother and Queen