Make your way to the Grotta della Beata Vergine (Cave of the Blessed Virgin), a magnificent natural cave 400 meters deep that opens up within the Gola di Frasassi gorge, about 300 meters above sea level in the side of Mount Frasassi.
Right at the center of the cave, admire the Madonna of Frasassi shrine, also known as the Valadier Temple, because it is generally attributed to the style of architect Giuseppe Valadier. Built in the neoclassical style, the shrine was commissioned in 1819 by Cardinal Annibale della Genga (later Pope Leo XII), and was inaugurated in 1828.
A lead-covered dome sits atop the octagonal plan temple, whose main structure is built from local limestone quarried near the cave.
Linked to female monasticism in the Frasassi area is the hermitage and oratory of Santa Maria Infra Saxa, built from the Early Middle Ages, which is close to the Valadier Temple. Mentioned in documents from the year 1000, this tiny building is joined to the rocky face of the mountain, half suspended over the cliff.
You will reach the sit on foot up from Piazzale Fedeli, along a tree-lined path surrounded by vegetation. The path is 750 m long, with a 10% slope.