Santuario della SS.ma Annunciata e del Beato Innocenzo
BIOGRAPHY
19th March, 1844 - He was born in Niardo. His parents were Pietro Scalvinoni and Francesca Poli. He was baptized with the name of Giovanni. He spent his childhood between Niardo, the maternal village, and Berzo Inferiore, the paternal village. His father died when Giovanni was only three months old. His name is related to the village of Berzo Inferiroe in fact once he became friar, he used to sign himself with the name of: Father Innocenzo fron Berzo.
1855\60: He attends the school in Lovere (BG) and passes with the highest marks.
1864: He enters the diocesan seminary of Brescia.
1867: He is ordained priest and destined coadjutor in the parish of Cevo in Valsaviore.
1870: He goes back to Berzo Inferiore where his duty is to hold confession and direct the local primary school.
1873: he becomes friar of the Minor Capuchin Friars in the Annunciata Convent under the village of Borno. He takes the name of Father Innocenzo from Berzo.
1890: He dies on March 3rd in the infirmary of the convent of the Capuchin friars in Bergamo. On September 26th-28th of the same year his corpse is transferred to the cimitery of Berzo Inferiore in a trip defined as "the last itinerant adventure connected to the earthly world of the little friar from Berzo".
The mortal remains of Father Innocenzo from Berzo, now venerated as Blessed, arrived in Vallecamonica some months after his death. In those days the news used to go round slower than nowadays, nevertheless a great number of people asked the conventual house, where his body was resting, to have his mortal remains.
Once the people obtained the permission, his body was transported to Vallecamonica in a trip that lasted for 3 days. The first stop was in Lovere where the procession stayed for one night. The body was placed in the chapel of de Capuchin convent in Lovere and it was continuously cared for by his brothers and by a great deal of people from all over the place.
The second day was used to reach Cividate Camuno where thousands of people of the valley arrived to celebrate the well-knowr Friar, this large amount of applauding people created some problems for the ceremony.
On september 28th, during the morning, nearly seven months after his death, the body was arranged in a coffin and then carried on the shoulders of his brothers and taken to his last resting-palce. The chronicles of the time agreed that thounsands of people crowded on either side along the road for the 2 kms which separate Cividate Camuno from Berzo Inferiore. From that day on his tomb has brought many blessings and miracles have been multipling.
November 12th, 1961 - Pope Giovanni XXIII declares him Blessed in the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.
MIRACLES
The two miraculously healed people.
LORENZO BELOTTI from Pisogne.
At the age of four he was diagnosed with the terrible disease: leukaemia.
He was hospitalized in the Civil hospital in Brescia where, after all possible tests and consequent therapies, he was sent home and diagnosed incurable. His parents and relatives didn't accept the evidence and because they had a special veneration of the "little friar from Berzo" every day for several weeks thery took the young Lorenzo to the tomb of the friar to intercede for the grace.
After a few weeks the child stopped showing the symptoms of the disease.
After about one year Lorenzo was taken again to the hospital of Brescia because he had been invited by the doctors who verified his total recovery. It was just after the great world war. Nowadays he and his children all live happily married.
ANTONIO GIUDICI from Bergamo.
At about five Antonio was diagnosed with peritonitis. He was taken immediately to the hospital where the doctors decided that he was too seriously ill to be operated so they sent him home in an ambulance together with his mother and grandmother.
The child's grandmother was a strong devotee of the "little friar from Berzo" and she always had a picture of him. On the way home in the ambulance the grandmother secretely put the picture of Father Innocenzo under the child arrived home he got out bed by himself. The child recovered completely and the doctors were amazed. Also this fact happened just after the great world war. Antonio Giudici is still alive.
PLACES
In PIANCOGNO, in the hamlet of Annunciata, is situated the sixteenth century sanctuary connected to the monastery of the capuchin friars in which Father Innocenzo, whose birth name was Giovanni Scalvinoni, lived for 15 years as a Capuchin friar. Visit his cell and the museum.
In BERZO Inferiore he was buried in the local cemetery on september 24th, 1890, exhumed in 1961 in occasion of the declaration of beatification.
In NIARDO, he was born in 19\03\1844 where his mother, Francesca, was staying in the family home.
SANCTUARY
On the mountain ridge which overlooks all the lower part of Vallecamonica is situated the monastic complex, since its foundation in the second half of the XV century, has given the name to the locality: the "Annunciata"; tongue: "LA NOS-CIADA".
At present it is run by the Capuchin friars and it houses a little less than ten friars who look after the religions aspect.
Blessed Amedeo Menez da Sylva wanted to hold the sanctuary and building was started in 1463 and was completed in ten decades; its dedication to Our lady of the Annunciata is emphasized in four engraved columns situated in the main cloister where along with the date appears also the name of the Pope Sisto IV who authorized the request.
The "Amadeiti" founders were the first to live in the convent until 1508, then it was occupied by the "Minori Riformati" friars until 1601. Afterwards the "Minori Riformati" friars lived there
until 1808 when, in the Napoleonic period, the monastic complex was put for sale as with many other ecclesiastic properties. It was bought by the community of Borno that gave it to the Capuchin friars in 1842. Here lived for several years Father Innocenzo from Berzo who was proclaimed Blessed by Pope Giovanni XXIII in November 12th, 1961. In the convent there is a small museum dedicated to the Blessed. The location is very famous for its charming position which overlooks all the middle and lower part of the Vallecamonica valley and Iseo lake as well as for the richness of its artistical and architectural expression ad the feeling of peace and quietness that the place transmits; but above all for the devotion that thousands of believers have towards the Blessed Innocenzo from Berzo.
Inside we can admire some highly esteemed cycles of frescoes, among whith there stands out the fife of Jesus and his crucifixion on the partition wall attributed to the school of the "Da Cemmo" and the one of the choir which represents the story of Mary, painted in 1475 by Giovan Pietro da Cemmo.
Other frescoes represent some scenes of the life of the Saints and other religious themes and they are the work of: Maestro di Bienno, Tura, Cossa, Lamberto Orazio De Rossi, among others. There are also several paintings whose painters are: Antonio Paglia, Nicola Grisani, Antonio Morone, Lorenzo Zanettino, R.Focardi.
In 1995, on the initiative of the local Pro Loco, the road which goes up from Cogno and Piamborno to the Annunciata convent was called "Strada del Beato" (Road of the Blessed) in memory of the Blessed Innocenzo from Berzo who used to walk along it to go from the convent where he lived to the villages of the Vallecamonica to preach hold confessions.
In spring 1996 along the "Strada del Beato" in locality "Piana di Gobbia" an area called "L'Oasi del Beato" (the Oasis of the Blessed) was prepared and a great marble stele representing the Blessed Innocenzo was put within.
CELEBRATIONS
The celebrations referred to as the Blessed Innocenzo from Berzo have two annual rememberences. March 13th in Berzo Inferiore to commemorate his death which happened in the infirmary of the convent of the Capuchin friars in Bergamo; the second Sunday of August at the "Annunciata" of Piancogno where Father Innocenzo lived for fifteen years of his holy life in the local Franciscan community.
MUSEUM CELL-NEAR the convent, his brothers have prepared as a museum his cell and the attached claustral room where Father Innocenzo from Berzo used to prostrate himself to pray at any time of the day or night. Several places of the franciscan complex tell about his holy presence. The anecdotes told in his biographies remind one that his way of behaving towards his community was always extremely humble and of great christian reverence. In his cell there is still the framework which used to contain the straw mattress where he used to rest.
THE MUSEUM displays some of the friar's objects such as the cradle where he was put after his birth, some personal abjets, his vestments for religious celebrations, his penance instruments, other items which narrate his holy life.
ADDRESSES
PER IL BEATO INNOCENZO:
Padre Vittricio Mabellini, Vicepostulatore, Convento dell'Annunciata, 25052 Cogno (Brescia) tel. 0364\45180
PER LA COMUNITA' DEI FRATI MINORI CAPPUCCINI:
Padre Superiore del Convento dell'Annunciata, 25052 Cogno (Brescia) tel. 0364\45005
PUBBLICATIONS
Bollettino semestrale: "Beato Innocenzo da Berzo" redatto dalla Vicepostulazione.
