Montagnaga, Italy
On May 14, 1729, around noon on Saturday, Domenica Targa was with her cattle in the basin of the “Palustel.” Suddenly, all the beasts, as if caught by terror, started to flee disoriented. Domenica, who was reciting the rosary, cried out: “Jesus, Mary, help me.” She had just pronounced the invocation, when she saw before her a beautiful lady dressed in white as snow. “My daughter, what are you doing?” She asked. “I am reciting the rosary,” said Domenica. The Lady praised her and, after having expressed a burning desire to go to Caravaggio, she added: “Obey me. Do not go to Caravaggio. Instead, the evening of the feast of the Ascension, go to the church of Saint Anne, where you will be exposed to the picture of Our Lady of Caravaggio. You kneel on the first step of the altar and you will see a beautiful thing. “I wonder if my parents will let me go to Montagnaga at that!” said the girl. “Fear not, I will be there for sure!” added the beautiful Lady, and disappeared.
On Ascension Day, May 26, 1729, without too much difficulty Domenica could go to the church of Montagnaga. During the singing of the Litany of the Saints and the invocation “Omnes Sancti Martyrs” Domenica saw the Virgin with the Child in her arms and the rosary in her right hand, who invited her to express her appearance to all the people present. Of course, there were also skeptics, especially among the clergy. But the pious young woman, before returning home, she was forced by an inner strength to proclaim three times, the wonders of the Virgin Mary, and Her presence.
On Sept 8, 1729, people of Montagnaga collected in the church, and one could hear the cries of the people for procession from Baselga, when the Blessed Virgin appeared to the seer with the Child in her arms, but this time wounded and bleeding, followed by Saints Joachim and Anna S. Joseph. The Holy Virgin herself blessed the picture that was painted and placed on the altar after the second apparition, and then – after imposing, Domenica shouted three times “the Blessed Virgin is here” – she assured them that this would be the place which would receive the prayers of his devotees. Showing the wounds of little Jesus explained that they were caused by the sins and urged them to pray for the conversion of sinners.
The most Holy Virgin, as if to console Domenica for the skepticism surrounding the apparitions, appeared two days later for the fourth time, in the locality called “Pralongo” and urged her to explain everything to her confessor, Father Michael Bernardi, who would help.
On May 20 – 23, 1730, the diocesan authorities examined Domenica in the Castle of Good Counsel in Trento. Six days later on on May 26, 1730, the Virgin appeared for the last time on Sunday in the church of Sant’Anna to Domenica in Montagnaga. Surrounded by a brilliant light, and surrounded by a bevy of virgins, Our Lady invoked God’s blessing on the multitude of these, worked some healing, manifest her satisfaction in Domenica, and greeted her kindly, walked away forever.
On August 22, 1730, further investigation of Domenica at Montagnaga took place. In 1740, the Sanctuary of Piné, an expansion of the church of Sant’Anna in Montagnaga, by Antonio Brusinelli, was presented for the devotion of the pilgrims a copy of Our Lady of Caravaggio painted by Elena Zambaiti in 1729.
On May 26, 1751, the new church was consecrated by Leopold Ernst Cardinal von Firmian, bishop of Trento. The Sanctuary was enlarged in 1881. In Aug 11, 1894, the image of the Madonna was crowned by Eugenio Carlo Valussi, Bishop of Trento.
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