The patron saint of Savona is Our Lady of Mercy, celebrated on 18 March: on the eve's night, great bonfires are lit in the bed of the Letimbro stream, while candles and illuminations light up the whole city; the feast reaches its peak with the procession to the city's sanctuary.
The sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy was built following the Madonna's apparition to Antonio Botta, which tradition dates to 1536. It is a sumptuous example of Baroque architecture, holding inside an altar by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and precious paintings by Domenichino; the patron's statue was crowned directly by Pope Pius VII at the end of his captivity. In the square in front stands a Baroque fountain built in 1708 by Giacomo Ponsonelli of Massa, topped by a twisting angel with open wings.
