Oratorio del Mogio

Audio description

The Mogio is a small oratory dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Grace. It stands in a distinctive position in the Balducce district, right against the embankment of the Rabbi River, along the old mule track where the public Mogio spring and the posting station for carriers were once located. Its origins date to around the 15th century. In 1646 it was raised above an earlier small chapel, whose entrance is still visible on the lower rear side of the façade. This tiny chapel or tabernacle is very small—less than half the size of the upper one—dimly lit, and covered by a barrel vault. The oratory itself is shaped somewhat like a small tower, while the upper church features a wooden truss porch supported by two pillars. It also has a small bell gable housing a bell dated 1505, originally from the old Church of San Rocco, now the Town Hall. Every year on May 24th, the traditional “Festa del Mogio” is held in memory of the First World War, when several mothers, wives, and sisters of soldiers on the front gathered in prayer before the Madonna del Mogio, asking that their loved ones return home safely. They vowed that, if their prayers were answered, they would gather every year on May 24th to pray and celebrate with the rest of the community. Today, the festival includes a procession starting from the Oratory along Via Roma, with the participation of the Carriers’ Band, followed by a refreshment with local specialties offered by the residents of the district.