The Sanctuary of Santa Cristina is a stone chapel or small church perched precariously atop a rocky crag, some 1300 meters high, overlooking the Val Grande National Park. It is within the territory of the comune of Cantoira in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northern Italy. The church is only accessible via an arduous trek up hundreds of hewn stairs.
The site had a votive pillar erected in 1440 and dedicated to Saint Christina of Bolsena. Tradition holds that a shepherd, accosted by wolves, was rescued after the apparition of the Saint dispersed the predators. The pillar is part of the choir at the right of the entrance. The mountain-top localization of the shrine has some similarities to the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy.
The first chapel was erected by citizens of both the town of Ceres and Cantoira, and both disputed the site. The interior has some 15th-century frescoes.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.