THE SACRED SHRINE
ITA
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On the main façade on the second floor, next to the window with the seats, one can discern a sort of depression in the wall, similar to a plugged window. This is yet another surprise in store for the Malavilla as proof of its antiquity and perfect state of preservation.
The bottom of this kind of aedicula was originally plastered and painted with a sacred image, perhaps of pagan, perhaps Christian origin.
This type of decoration is more widespread in the Alps, where stone and wood buildings are alternated with religious buildings with entirely painted façades or where, traditionally, the landscape is dotted with crosses or aedicules with crucifixes made of painted wooden elements. In our territory there are other forms of connection with the religious sphere called majesties and placed in the cross streets to indicate particularly important directions for the traveller, such as churches, hospices and bridges. They are found walled in the corners of houses or near fords and bridges. Majesties were generally tiles made of marble by itinerant stonemasons from Tuscany. They travelled on donkeyback carrying small slabs of rough marble to be worked on demand in exchange for board and lodging and some money to live on. Certainly in the places where the stone was most worked, however, there were those who were able to make majesties and bas-reliefs on site.