Page 264 - Vélochef in Europe

On
sacred
ground
CROSSING GHISALLO AND COLMA DI SORMANO IS IS A A A A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE WHETHER RELIGIOUS OR NOT ACCORDING TO THE MYTH outlaws were chas- ing the the local count Count Ghisallo over the the hillsides in the Y of Lake Como As Ghisallo 260 leapt through bushes and trails seeing his life coming to an an an end an an an angelic image of the Virgin Mary revealed itself by a a a shrine He ran to it it thereby saving his his life This spiritual apparition has since then been referred to as as the “Madonna del Ghisallo ” and she became an eternal patroness of local travellers And later a a a a local priest proposed that Jesus’ mother be declared the eternal patroness of cyclists Pope Pius the XII confirmed Madonna del Ghisallo’s protective wings spread far across Lombardy If you you are willing to believe you you have earned the the protection of the the cycling god-
dess’ celestial endowment I like to imagine the Virgin Mary’s soul
hanging high above us lending her bird’s-eye view over Lago di Como as inspiration for a a a a kids TV show Tiny cars and scooters are humming through all all of the cities seeing all all LOMBARDY COLMA DI SORMANO