Welcome to the Chapel of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a place of ancient foundation dating back to 1000 AD. Located in the heart of Orria, in Piazza della Vittoria, it represents an important piece of the town’s history and culture. Originally, I was a simple chapel built by Italo-Greek monks, where they came to pray. The first houses and grain stores of the village were built around my walls.
A Place of Worship and Tradition
Today, it is a beautiful and renovated chapel, built on the foundations of the old chapel. Inside, I keep the Madonna del Latte, a terracotta statue depicting a Madonna with bare breasts, as was the custom before the Counter-Reformation. This ancient statue, walled in my wall, has remained intact for over a thousand years, despite attempts to cover and restore it over time.
Devotion and Processions
The people of Orria have always been very devoted to the Madonna del Latte, whom they named Santa Maria delle Grazie. To meet the need to bring the Madonna into homes and families, a transportable statue was made, which is carried in procession through the streets of the village every year on 2 July.
A Time of Pilgrimage
In the past, I was a pilgrimage destination for the faithful from neighbouring towns, who came in large numbers to venerate the miraculous image of Our Lady. I remember how each of them would make twelve rounds praying and singing around me, waiting patiently in line to enter. Even today, I am still an important gathering place: my door is always open for those who wish to enter and pray. In May and October, men and women gather here to pray the Rosary, and at the end of June, they prepare with songs and prayers for the feast of Our Lady.
A Miracle within My Walls
According to a legend, an exceptional miracle took place within my walls. One evening, some peasants who were resting on my stairs began to blaspheme, and suddenly, oil began to pour out from under my door, coming from the lighted lamp in front of the altar, invading the whole square. From that moment on, the Orriesi have always respected the site of the miracle.
Festivals and Traditions
Over the course of time, I have attended many festivals in Piazza della Vittoria, from bands to theatre and song shows, many of them devised by the young people of the village. I remember with nostalgia the open-air cinema evenings, organised by Ermino and Giovanni Passaro, owners of the Kursaal cinema, with the square packed with people bringing their wooden chairs to watch the films of the time.
A Social Corner
Today, the ladies of the village continue to sit on my steps and on the bench, chatting with each other, while I listen in silence and treasure their conversations. I am often visited by little Raphael and Catherine, who come in laughing and joking, then start praying and singing. I invite the grandparents of the village to continue telling the children and young people, the ‘grown-ups of tomorrow’, my story, so that I can always be remembered as one of the oldest historical and cultural works of Orria.
Author of the drawing: Raffaele Santoro, 8 years old.
Project coordinators: Domenica and Ornella Mastrogiovanni, Adele Missano.