Santuario della Madonna dei Tre Fiumi

The Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Three Rivers is located in the homonymous locality, near Ronta, in the municipality of Borgo San Lorenzo. This place, always linked to spirituality, preserves a history rich in extraordinary events, miracles, and legends that make it a pilgrimage destination even today. The religious vocation of this area is ancient: according to historians, as early as 854 AD, there was a convent dedicated to Santa Maria here. Not far away, in the locality of Castellina, there were caves where mystical visions were said to occur. And a few bends from the sanctuary, legend has it that San Giovanni Gualberto lifted a gigantic beech trunk with a single hand gesture, clearing the way. The Oratory of the Madonna of the Three Rivers is so named because it is located at the confluence of three watercourses: two branches of the Ensa stream and the Farfereta ditch. Near the sanctuary, there is also an ancient water mill from 1845, a testimony to rural life and the importance of water for the local economy. The Ensa stream originates from the Fonte dell'Alpe, near the Passo della Colla, and crosses the village of Razzuolo before swelling precisely at the Madonna of the Three Rivers, where it once received the waters of the Farfereta. The sanctuary, in its current form, dates back to 1705 and features a three-nave plan, separated by round arches. The central nave is covered by wooden trusses, while the side naves, added in 1633, have a single sloping roof. The main altar, carved in pietra serena stone, houses a fresco of the Madonna with Child, a work by the Florentine painter Jacopo Chimenti known as l’Empoli (1554-1640). On the side altars, there are two valuable canvases: one depicting a Saint in prayer and the other the Assumption of the Madonna. Behind the altar, a suggestive crypt with composite vaults constitutes the choir. Also of great interest are some wooden furnishings, including an ancient lectern, the organ, and finely carved small confessionals. Outside, there is a portico with three arches, built in 1633 to welcome pilgrims. In 1780, with the construction of the carriage road, the portico underwent a drastic mutilation, irreparably compromising one of the arches, making it "limping." The construction of the sanctuary dates back to 1579, in the place where there was once a simple tabernacle of the Madonna, already a destination for devout pilgrimages. The turning point came in 1578, on the day of the Ascension when – according to tradition – the image of the Madonna took on living features, turning a tearful gaze towards some praying women. Shortly after, a dying child was brought in front of the sacred image and miraculously healed. These events caused such a stir that the people of Ronta decided to build a larger and more welcoming oratory. Over time, the growth of worship and the increase of pilgrims led to the expansion of the structure, until it reached its current appearance. The 18th century saw the peak of Marian worship in this sanctuary, with numerous miracles attributed to the Madonna. One of the most curious events took place on June 7, 1767: a group of Florentine pilgrims, due to delays and unforeseen events, arrived at the sanctuary in the middle of the night. Among them was a young man named Marco di Alessio Corsini, who took a wrong turn and found himself alone, riding a half-blind donkey. In the dark, the animal stepped off the path and fell into the ravine, dragging the boy with it. When the pilgrims rushed to help, they expected the worst: the donkey was dead on the spot, but Marco emerged almost unscathed, with just a scratch. He recounted seeing the Madonna in a bright light, next to a smiling Jesus, just as he fell. As a precaution, a local doctor – the brilliant Dr. Giacinto Martini – decided to bleed him, a remedy that left him weaker than ever! The next day, dragging himself as best he could, Marco still managed to reach the sanctuary to pay homage to the miraculous Virgin. Another figure indissolubly linked to the sanctuary was Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, born in Ronta, in Mugello, who always maintained a strong bond with his homeland. Having grown up near the Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Three Rivers, Cardinal Piovanelli attributed the origin of his religious vocation to this special place. Piovanelli never missed an opportunity to recount how his call to the priesthood originated around the parish priest of Ronta and the Madonna of the Three Rivers. Ronta and the sanctuary were for him like a spiritual home, a point of reference, and a place of deep veneration. Even when Piovanelli became the Archbishop of Florence, he never forgot his Mugello roots. During periods of rest or in his retirement visits, the Cardinal frequently returned to Mugello, especially to Ronta, to visit the cemetery where his parents are still laid to rest. There, he would stop to pray and reminisce about his childhood, in a profound and unbreakable bond with his land and the sanctuary he loved so much.

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