The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Counsel stands in the heart of Genazzano, not far from San Vito Romano, and is one of the most venerated Marian shrines in Lazio. Its story begins in 1467, when the Augustinian tertiary Petruccia di Ienco, having spent everything she owned to restore an ancient 14th-century church that lay in ruins, was mocked by fellow townspeople for failing to complete the work: she replied that the Virgin and Saint Augustine would finish the building before her death.
On 25 April of that same year, tradition holds, a small image of the Madonna and Child - a thin layer of plaster that had detached from the wall of a church in Scutari, Albania - crossed the Adriatic borne on a luminous cloud and came to rest on the wall of the church under construction, amid the sound of celestial music. In the following months 161 miracles were recorded, and Pope Paul II sent two bishops to verify the authenticity of the events.
The image, still today miraculously adhering to the wall without any support, is housed in a lavish Baroque altar richly decorated with polychrome marble and gold. Over the centuries the sanctuary, raised to the rank of minor basilica, has drawn the devotion of numerous popes and saints, including John Bosco, who made a pilgrimage there to ask for protection for the newly founded Salesian congregation.
Still today a destination for pilgrims from all over the world, the sanctuary’s 18th-century façade holds beautiful mosaics telling the story of the miracle, making it one of the most significant places of faith and art in the whole Prenestini area.
Opening hours and contacts
Basilica opening hours, every day:
- morning: 7:00 am – 12:45 pm;
- afternoon, in winter time: 3:00 – 6:45 pm;
- afternoon, in summer time: 3:00 – 7:45 pm.
Mass times:
- weekdays: 7:30 am, 9:00 am and 5:00 pm (6:00 pm in summer time);
- eve of Sundays and holidays: 7:30 am, 9:00 am and 6:00 pm;
- Sundays and holidays: 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am and 6:00 pm.
The Rosary is prayed every day, half an hour before the evening Mass. On the 25th of each month the liturgy in memory of the “Venuta” (the arrival of the image) is celebrated at 4:00 pm (5:00 pm in summer time).
Phone: +39 06 9579002
Email: santuariombc@gmail.com
Address: Corso Cardinali Vannutelli 2, Genazzano (Rome)
Opening hours may change, especially on feast days: it is best to check them before setting off.
Source for opening hours, Mass times and contacts: Basilica Santuario Madre del Buon Consiglio - Gli orari della Basilica (checked in October 2026).
Photo: Cruz.croce, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.