Madonna del Pollino

The Madonna of Pollino. The grotto where the Madonna appeared in 1725 and the Sanctuary, a destination for pilgrims from all over the world. Legend has it that the history of the Sanctuary originates from an apparition of the Madonna to a shepherd while he was grazing his flock on Mount Pollino. Astonished by the vision, the shepherd spread the news, and word of mouth spread throughout the village. A local woman named Rosa Maria, driven by her strong faith, traveled to the mountain with her sister-in-law Vittoria. Rosa Maria had left her husband, who was suffering from an incurable disease, and her son at home. As the two women walked the steep and arduous path leading to Pollino, they began to feel extremely thirsty, but in the absence of water, they asked the Virgin to quench their burning thirst. A short distance away, they saw a gush of water gushing from a large, basin-shaped stone. Nearby was an entrance that led to a cave, to which they felt mysteriously drawn. When the two women entered the cave, they noticed a pile of gravel mixed with dirt in one corner that seemed to hide something. They began digging and found a chest with a woolen cloth wrapped in a statue of the Blessed Virgin holding the Child. The two women returned home with the chest in hand to find Rosa Maria's husband miraculously healed.