santuario, diocesano, Madonna della Catena

A few kilometres from Cassano, the Santuario Diocesano della Madonna della Catena occupies a valley floor where the River Eiano runs, at the foot of a hill. This Byzantine-era church, dedicated to the Virgin, has long been held in high regard by local nobility and the Church itself. A papal bull of 1748 granted it the title of ‘Abazia’, and in 2004 it was elevated to a Diocesan Sanctuary. It remains a centre of Marian devotion, drawing pilgrims from Cassano, the wider diocese, and Albanian-origin communities, especially for the main feast on the second Sunday of May. The preceding Saturdays are devoted to the Madonna. During the procession, men and women carry the statue on their shoulders; afterwards, families picnic on the grass, with traditional dancing to the accordion. A two-day fair lines the road from the sanctuary to the valley, with stalls selling votive candles, toys, clothing, copperware, wicker baskets, and the ever-popular ‘calderoni’, large cooking pots.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.