santuario, mariano, diocesano, Santuario Mariano Diocesano Maria Santissima di Modena

In the Modena district of Reggio Calabria stands the Santuario Mariano Diocesano Maria Santissima di Modena, a church that is the oldest in the archdiocese of Reggio Calabria-Bova. This Renaissance-era sanctuary has long been a focus of deep devotion, drawing pilgrims who once arrived even from Sicily, walking barefoot to pray before the Virgin. These journeys were called ‘viaggi’, a term still used for the nine days of prayer leading to the feast on the first Sunday of May. The cult here has always been fervent: in the past, thousands of pilgrims would gather daily, with tens of thousands processing with the miraculous image. In 1958, the archbishop established the parish here, dedicating it to Saint Pius X, with the sanctuary serving as its temporary home until a larger church could be built. The following year, the first authorised procession took place. This is a place where the old rhythms of pilgrimage and prayer persist, quietly and without fanfare.

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