santuario, mariano, diocesano, Maria SS.ma della Catena

This sanctuary, once attached to a convent of Conventual Franciscan friars, is dedicated to the Madonna della Catena, Our Lady of the Chain. Inside stands a limewood statue attributed to the Calabrian priest-sculptor Giuseppe De Lorenzo. The Virgin, standing, holds the Christ Child with her left hand; with her right she lifts a chain, from which a small kneeling figure, known locally as u schiavareju (the little slave), is being freed.

The church was declared a diocesan sanctuary in 1956, and again formally recognised as a Marian Diocesan Sanctuary in 2002. The principal feast falls on the second Sunday of July, preceded by a novena and twenty Saturdays of prayer beginning in February. Since the mid-1800s, pilgrims have walked through the night from Friday to Saturday, continuing until Sunday midnight. The solemn festivities re-enact the miracle of the breaking of the chains that bound three slaves, and are preceded by a two-day fair. The procession of Mary Most Holy of the Chain is the heart of the religious observance.

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