santuario, diocesano, Santuario di San Domenico di Guzmán

In the historic centre of Soriano Calabro, at the foot of the Serre Vibonesi, the Santuario di San Domenico di Guzmán occupies a church and convent dedicated to the founder of the Order of Preachers, the Dominican friars. The complex is among the largest of its kind in Europe, a monument to the popular fervour that began, according to local tradition, with a miraculous event in 1530: the delivery of an acheropita, an image not made by human hands, of Saint Dominic, brought by the Virgin Mary herself.

The Dominicans had been present in Soriano since 1510, and from this sacred image grew a tide of faith that demanded a grand architectural response. Today, the sanctuary houses a library and a life-sized nativity scene. In the restored refectory and kitchen, the Museo dei Marmi displays a collection of 17th- and 18th-century works from the convent. The saint is honoured liturgically on 8 August, and with particular solemnity on 14 and 15 September, when the ‘Calata del Quadro’ commemorates the original vision.

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