The Golden Cristo Re by Timo Bortolotti

Since 1931, an impressive sculpture has dominated the Valle Camonica: the Cristo Re statue by Timo Bortolotti, a gilded colossus that has given its name to the hill it stands on. You can reach it by visiting the Santa Maria Maddalena complex in Bienno, a true gem of the Valle Camonica that’s not to be missed.

The Cristo Re statue in Bienno, towering over the Valle Camonica, is gilded and stands eight and a half meters tall. It was created by Timo Bortolotti, a sculptor from Darfo Boario. Its story is a communal one: all the towns in the Valle Camonica wanted it during the 1930s as a celebration and monument to the reconciliation between the Vatican State and the Kingdom of Italy through the Lateran Pacts of 1929. Work began in November of that year, requiring practical ingenuity since the statue is located on a peak accessible at the time only by a simple path. That same path was widened, enabling the statue to be transported to its final site once completed: the grand Cristo Re statue was delivered from Milan in pieces, transported to the designated area by trucks and carts.

The work was completed in June 1931 and the inauguration festivities lasted a week.

The hill hosting the enormous statue is also known as the Santa Maria Maddalena complex. The sculpture is not the only point of spiritual and devotional interest here; the hill also houses two chapels: the lower chapel of Santa Maria and the upper chapel of Maddalena. Built between the 13th and 14th centuries AD, the interiors feature notable artworks, starting with frescoes decorating the ceiling of the lower chapel, likely by Paolo da Caylina the Elder.

The third chapel serves as the base of the Cristo Re statue. It was built in memory of the Valle Camonica’s fallen soldiers from all wars. Inside, there is a large wooden Crucifix, with figures of Mary Magdalene, St. John and the Virgin Mary at its feet.

Bienno’s Cristo Re statue by Timo Bortolotti also has its own annual celebration. The Feast of Cristo Re takes place at the end of November, with traditions that are repeated each year. The celebration starts with a torchlit procession from Piazza Benvenuto Bendeni to the foot of the colossal statue on Maddalena Hill. The event typically includes a pyromusical show featuring fireworks and music.