Church of the Madonna delle Grazie
Sito dell'Assessorato alla Cultura, Turismo e Spettacolo del Comune di Piano di Sorrento
- ideato e realizzato dall'Ufficio Cultura del Comune -
Tel. 0815344426 - mail: info@pianodisorrentoeventi.it
Practically nestled among the old houses of Marina di Cassano and partially carved into the tuff cliff, this church, small, simple, and classical in its exterior façade, is topped by a metal cross and a small bell. It features a fresco of the Madonna and Child. The interior has a single nave with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. It displays some Baroque stuccoes with floral motifs and an altar made of polychrome marble.
It also houses a highly venerated wooden statue of the Madonna from 1885, especially revered during the celebration on July 2nd. There are also three other statues depicting Saint Anthony, Saint Joseph, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as a painting from 1861 portraying Saint Aniello and another depicting Saint Michael.
Finally, there is a small organ above the entrance, accessible by a tiny spiral staircase.
The history of this small but important place of worship is very ancient. In 1326, the canons Giovanni Maresca and Amato Cota founded the first chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist near the village of Marina di Cassano.
In 1537, Carlo Maresca founded the chapel of Marina di Cassano, with a bell arch, where there was already a shrine dedicated to Saint Mary of Grace. He also dedicated it to the souls in Purgatory.
In 1658, a landslide from the cliff near the village of Marina di Cassano destroyed the chapel. However, the residents decided to rebuild it, expanding the structure onto a neighboring plot of land they had purchased.
Over time, the church underwent various restorations, including significant ones in 1950 and in 1982 (after the damage caused by the 1980 earthquake).
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