santuario, mariano, diocesano, Santuario Madonna del Ponte

At the foot of the hill of Squillace, beyond the town, the Santuario della Madonna del Ponte stands among olives, oranges, hedges and brambles, with the sound of two rivers, the Alessi and the Ghetterello, meeting beneath a bridge before flowing together to the Ionian Sea. This is a Baroque church, but its story begins earlier. In the early Middle Ages, a small monastery, perhaps of the Basilian order, occupied this spot.

Here, on 5 May 1723, an ancient image of the Virgin was found painted on a fragment of old wall. Legend holds that the church was built after a young woman was freed from possession upon seeing the fresco. The Byzantine-style painting, still visible today, shows the Madonna Galaktotrofusa, the Virgin nursing the Child. The same image appears on a bell dated 1585. The church was certainly functioning by 1724, as recorded on the stone inscription above the central portal. The earthquake of 5 February 1783 damaged the structure, but the sanctuary endures, a quiet, watery place of layered history.

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