Santuario di San Giovanni Battista del Calandrone

“Lost and found,” whispered the wind through the crumbling walls of the Santuario di San Giovanni Battista del Calandrone. This sanctuary, nestled in the Lombardian countryside near Merlino, holds a unique distinction. It’s the only sanctuary in the region not dedicated to the Madonna, but to Saint John the Baptist. The “Calandrone,” a channel that once embraced the sanctuary, is now lost to time, much like some of the early history of this sacred place. The earliest records, dating back to 1261, mention an oratory. This was later restored in 1466. The restoration unveiled intriguing artifacts: a well, a tombstone, a sepulcher, and other objects. These whisper tales of a village perhaps even older than Merlino itself. Devotion to Saint John the Baptist began around 1500. But it wasn’t until 1738 that the parish chronicle recorded the first miracles. These were attributed to the saint’s intercession after the faithful bathed in or drank the water from two basins beside the church. One basin, whole and sound, provides miraculous water. The other, cracked in five places, is the more famous. A plaque recounts the tale of a hunter who brought his sick dog to the basin, pleading, “O San Giuan, if you heal Christians, heal my dog too.” As soon as the dog entered the water, the basin cracked. Inside the Santuario di San Giovanni Battista del Calandrone, a 15th-century fresco of Saint John the Baptist graces the altar. Centuries of devotion have left their mark. A former parish priest of Merlino, Antonio Maria Pozzoli, documented the date 1466 on an external pillar, along with an image of San Bernardino da Siena, hinting at earlier restorations and repainting. Bishop Giuseppe Gallerati of Lodi, in 1744, documented the numerous votive offerings, testament to the powerful devotion and healings attributed to the saint. In the 1950s, Don Paolo Tinelli, assistant priest of Merlino, revived devotion to the sanctuary. Bishop Tarcisio Vincenzo Benedetti, rector of the sanctuary, further reinforced its importance. The Santuario di San Giovanni Battista del Calandrone even drew a prominent visitor: Giovanni Battista Montini, the future Pope Paul VI. He would travel from Milan monthly, kneeling in prayer for an hour before the closed doors, expressing gratitude. Later, as Pope, he donated funds for the sanctuary’s restoration in 1972. The Santuario di San Giovanni Battista del Calandrone continues to draw pilgrims, a beacon of faith across the region.