| The Shrine of Our Lady of Splendor is Giulianova country at the end of the Avenue of Splendor. In the place where it rises, according to tradition, on 22 April 1557 the Virgin appeared on a bright olive to Bertolino, a humble farmer from Cologne intent to gather wood in the nearby places. In consequence of the apparition was built a church, then entrusted to the Celestine Fathers. Next to the church they built a monastery and lived for a long time. The structure we see today, ruled since 1847 by the Capuchin Fathers, is the result of numerous changes and additions: among the more recent interventions, in 1857 the bell tower was erected August 28, 1927 laid the foundation stone of the convent in years 1937 to 1959 the church was further enlarged in 1946, was equipped with a new altar. Between 1990 and 2000 have been restored to the upper floors of the convent to house a museum of art and spacious rooms on the ground floor to accommodate a rich library. |