santuario, interparrocchiale, Madonna di Vergadoro

On a hilltop overlooking the Ionian Sea, this Baroque church is a sanctuary in the truest sense: a place of refuge, prayer and pilgrimage. Its name, Vergadoro, is a vernacular contraction of the Latin “Santa Maria Virgae Aureae”, Our Lady of the Golden Rod. Locals also call it the “Madonna i Brigatori”, a protector of sailors, fields and farmers alike.

The earliest records of the site date from the late eighteenth century. But the cult is older, sustained by a vivid folk tale: fishermen caught in a storm prayed for deliverance, and the next morning found a canvas in their nets depicting the Virgin holding a golden rod. In gratitude, they built this church.

Today, the sanctuary remains a living centre of devotion. Each year, ten days before the Feast of the Ascension, a night vigil is held. The following day, the statue of the Virgin is carried to the town for a novena, then walked back in an eight-kilometre pilgrimage procession.

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