santuario, mariano, diocesano, Santuario Mariano Diocesano di Santa Maria Mater Domini

In a clearing among olive groves and the woods of Fallà, in the province of Vibo Valentia, stands a small church dedicated to Santa Maria Mater Domini. Its origins are traced to a legend: around the seventh century, a Basilian monk is said to have built a chapel here and placed an image of the Virgin. The icon, of the Byzantine Odeghitria type, she who points the way, shows Mary gesturing toward the Child in her lap. The devotion spread among the neighbouring villages, and in 2007 the church was elevated to a diocesan Marian sanctuary.

The main feast, on 15 August, draws a large congregation, including emigrants returning from Canada. After a procession with hymns, the statue of the Madonna and Child is turned to bless the towns of San Nicola da Crissa, Filogaso and Capistrano before re-entering the sanctuary. In former times, the privilege of carrying the statue was auctioned in a ceremony known as the ‘incanto’.

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