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Sanctuary of Val di Prata Spring

On a hot summer’s day in the 9th century, a shepherdess was desperately looking for water in order to quench her thirst and that of her flock. Responding to her invocations, The Madonna appeared to her and, placing her hand on a stone, made fresh water flow from five small springs. The Virgin then ordered the girl to go to the parish priest and tell him to build a church where it would snow on 3rd August (some people claim 10th August). Sceptical at first, the parish priest did not want to believe the young girl but, when snow fell as she had said it would, he changed his mind and had the church built not far from the spring, on the spot where the Sanctuary now stands. Just downstream from the religious building along a short path, there is a spring where tradition claims an apparition of the Madonna took place, which is still a destination for modern pilgrims.