santuario, diocesano, Santa Maria della Grazia

A short distance from the village, this sanctuary stands among olive groves, quiet and surrounded by nature. Known locally as “delle Grazie” or, in the Arbëreshë tongue, “Santa Maria de Spixana,” it is a place shaped by popular devotion rather than grand architectural statements. Its origins reach back to the fifteenth century, when it served as a parish of the Greek rite, a reminder of the distinctive cultural heritage of this Albanian-speaking community in southern Italy. In the early 1800s, the church was enlarged with side aisles and a grand approach avenue, and embellished with marble cladding and artworks. In 2010, it was elevated to a diocesan sanctuary under the title “Santa Maria della Grazia.” The result is a modest but layered building, its Renaissance bones clothed in later additions, and its silence broken only by the rustle of olive leaves.

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