Fontana

Fontana is a small settlement on the edge of Lodi in Lombardy. It sits just seventy metres above sea level beside an old spring that once fed a shrine to the Madonna. The name itself comes from the Latin word for fountain, a reminder of the water that drew pilgrims for centuries. A miracle in the late 15th century turned the spot into a busy place of worship. The church, known as the Sanctuary of the Sorrowful Virgin or simply Madonna della Fontana, was handed to the Servite friars by Canon Marcantonio Cadamosto in 1505. They built a convent that lasted until the late 18th century, when it was closed and the church became a parish in its own right. Today the sanctuary still stands at the heart of the quarter. Its modest façade hides a quiet interior where visitors can pause beside the ancient spring. The surrounding streets are lined with houses that once belonged to the friars and the pilgrims who came to pray. From the square there are views across the flat Lombard plain towards the towers of Lodi.