SAN PATRIZIO

Since 1166, the only sanctuary in Italy dedicated to the memory of Saint Patrick has sat in Colzate. Numerous people visit this sacred place every year, also to admire the extraordinary view from its portico and the luxurious nature that surrounds it. The sanctuary seems to be shaped by nature itself, as its walls blend with the rock on which it rests. The building of this sacred place is associated with the trade relations that the inhabitants of the Seriana Valley shared with merchants from Ireland. It took centuries for the sanctuary to become what we see today: the construction of its nucleus began in the 12th century and ended with the erection of the current portico. This composition depicts in music the veneration that the people of Colzate and neighboring villages have for Saint Patrick. The ternary form recalls the symbol of the clover (in Gaelic Shamrock), with which Saint Patrick explained the Trinity to the people of Ireland.