Sanctuary of Picciano

Welcome to the Sanctuary of Picciano , an ancient place of worship located on a hill 15 km north-west of Matera .

The Sanctuary rises in a suggestive natural environment, immersed in a dense forest that starts near the hamlet of Matera called Picciano A, at the base of the hill.

The Sanctuary has a thousand-year history, and was founded by a monastic community in the 12th century.

Over the centuries, the place of worship has undergone numerous transformations, including the addition of a side nave and two devotional altars, and the construction of a new high altar, decorated with a stone anchor carved with figures in relief .

Inside the church, visitors will be able to admire the image of the Madonna dating back to the 15th century, as well as the statue of the Madonna di Picciano in the chapel behind the high altar.

The right aisle has a coat of arms with three battlements which can be traced back to the family of friar Silvio Zurla, who completed the building in the 17th century.

The Sanctuary of Picciano also has a strong link with the Knights Templar , who settled in this area to defend the pilgrims traveling along the Via di Bari.

Numerous churches in the Sassi of Matera, such as the church of Materdomini or of Sant'Antonio Abate, and in the towns of the Matera area, as well as in others in the province of Potenza, contain within them various testimonies of the presence of the Templars in Basilicata.

The first monastic settlement was located along the bed of the Gravina stream, which in this place takes the name of Gravina di Picciano. Subsequently, the monks moved the church to the hill, in a strategic position overlooking the entire valley.

The monastery became increasingly important over the years, to the point of being considered both in a bull by Pope Gregory IX in 1238 and in 1252, when Pope Innocent IV commissioned the archbishop of Trani to carry out checks on the Picciano monastery .

The Sanctuary of Picciano was the object of an important pilgrimage involving people and clergy, led by the bishop of Matera.

The feast of the Sanctuary takes place on March 25th and attracts thousands of pilgrims also coming from neighboring regions.

Over the years, a legend has also spread according to which a shepherd from Abruzzo, after receiving the apparition of the Madonna, received the order to build a church on the hill in honor of the Virgin.

We invite you to visit the Sanctuary of Picciano , a place of worship rich in history and tradition, immersed in a suggestive and enchanted natural environment.