San Severino Lucano (Potenza)
Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pollino
The sanctuary of the Madonna del Pollino stands at 1,537 metres above sea level, in the Mezzana hamlet of San Severino Lucano, on the northern slope of the Pollino massif, on a rocky spur overlooking the Frido valley. Near the façade grows a large maple with a half-hollow trunk, believed to be a thousand years old.
- Opening hoursOpening hours are not given by official sources: it is best to check before going.
- AdmissionFree admission
- WhereLocalità Madonna del Pollino, frazione Mezzana, San Severino Lucano (PZ)
What to see
- The small Romanesque church with three naves and the natural cave where, according to tradition, the statue was found.
- The statue of the Virgin and Child: Mary stands, with a rose in her right hand, a red tunic and a golden mantle.
- On the large square, a two-metre bronze sculpture by the Dutch artist Daphné Du Barry (2009), showing the Virgin offering the Child to humanity.
A little history
According to tradition, between 1725 and 1730 the Virgin appeared to a shepherd. Some time later two women seeking a grace for a sick relative found the statue of the Virgin and Child in a cave; the sick man recovered and had a chapel built. On 16 July 1991 the church was raised to diocesan sanctuary.
Useful information
The statue is carried to the sanctuary on the first Sunday of June by the «Brothers of the Madonna del Pollino» and stays there until the second Sunday of September; in winter it is kept in the church of San Severino Lucano. The main festivities take place between the Thursday and the Saturday before the first Sunday of July. The position shown on the map comes from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours are not given by official sources: it is best to check before going.
Also visit the Mother Church of Maria Santissima degli Angeli, the Museum of Rural Life and the Bosco Magnano. Discover more places in San Severino Lucano.
