Chiampo
Chiampo lies in the valley that bears its name, in the foothills of the Vicenza province, an area known for decades for leather pr...
Updated 11 July 2026
The story
The story of Chiampo
History and origins
The recent history of Chiampo is marked above all by the story of the Grotta di Lourdes, a project conceived in 1931 by the Franciscan friars of the Pieve, who wanted to build a reproduction of the French Marian sanctuary near the seminary. Work began on 8 December 1933, on the anniversary of the apparitions at Lourdes, and was carried out in concrete and iron by Friar Claudio Granzotto, today a beatified figure. The grotto was inaugurated and blessed on 29 September 1935, and immediately became the town's main religious attraction.
What to see
The Grotta di Lourdes at Chiampo, built as a faithful reproduction of the French grotto, is today part of the wider Santuario di Chiampo and includes, among its most significant features, the statue of the Immaculate Conception in Carrara marble sculpted by Blessed Claudio Granzotto himself, who travelled back to Lourdes to take measurements and notes before beginning the work. The religious complex, set among greenery, is a pilgrimage destination that over the course of the twentieth century drew crowds of up to two hundred thousand visitors on major anniversaries.
Nature and surroundings
The Chiampo Valley opens up towards the first hills of Lessinia, offering wooded hillside trails that make it easy to leave the industrial valley floor behind. The hills around the sanctuary can be explored on foot and offer quiet views over the valley, a natural counterpoint to the town's productive vocation.
Local life and economy
Chiampo is one of the towns historically linked to the leather tanning district of the Chiampo Valley, among the most important in Italy for leather processing, and is also known for the quarrying and working of local limestone, used in construction for centuries. This dual industrial vocation, tanning and stone, remains the town's main economic driver today, alongside the activity generated by the religious tourism connected to the sanctuary.
Events and traditions
The sanctuary's religious calendar marks much of the town's life, with Marian celebrations, organised pilgrimages and moments of reflection that follow one another throughout the year, particularly in spring and summer, when visitor numbers are highest.
Getting there
Chiampo lies about twenty five kilometres south west of Vicenza, reachable by car along the road that climbs the Chiampo Valley. The town is well connected to the main roads of the Vicenza foothills, making it accessible from both Vicenza and Verona.
Experiences not to miss
- Visitare la Grotta di Lourdes e il Santuario di Chiampo
- Visit the Grotta di Lourdes and the Santuario di Chiampo
To see
What to see in Chiampo
Routes · Trovido Route
