Things to see · Churches and sanctuaries
Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pergamo
Gorgoglione (Matera)
Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pergamo is in Gorgoglione, province of Matera. Opening hours: Country church, open mainly for the June feast and summer services. Admission: Free.
- Free.
- Country church, open mainly for the June feast and summer services.
About this place
The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pergamo is a country church about 5 km from Gorgoglione, at almost 1,000 metres above sea level. From here the view stretches over the valley of the fiumara (seasonal river), the woods of Stigliano and Accettura, and the calanchi (clay gullies) of Cirigliano and Guardia Perticara.
History
According to tradition, it was founded by Basilian monks, who settled in this area between the 9th and 10th centuries, fleeing the iconoclastic persecutions and bringing with them an image of the Virgin. The church is mentioned in a document from 1082 as Santa Maria «de Pirigo», and in 1131 it appears among the possessions of the Benedictine abbey of San Michele Arcangelo di Montescaglioso. Between the 17th and 19th centuries it was rebuilt several times, and in 1885 it was restored with donations from the faithful.
What to see
• The onion dome, visible from afar.
• The wooden statue of the Madonna with Child, from the 17th century, with a red tunic embroidered with roses and a green-blue cloak. According to legend, it was found by a shepherd in the hollow of an oak tree, in front of which his oxen had knelt.
• The panel of the ancient Byzantine altar, now used as the front of the altar, and a small window from the original building.
• Ex voto offerings left by the faithful: wedding dresses, baby clothes and photographs.
The June festival
On 11 June the statue leaves the Mother Church on a cart decorated with flowers and oak leaves, pulled by a pair of oxen, and climbs up to the sanctuary. On 12 June, after Mass, the Madonna is carried three times in procession around the church, while in front of the sanctuary the Maggio (a decorated tree trunk raised for the festival) is erected: a trunk of cerro oak and a top of holly, cut in the nearby woods and joined together as in a wedding, as also happens with the Maggio of Accettura.
How to get there
From Gorgoglione, follow the country road for about 5 km towards the sanctuary, which is clearly visible on the hill.
Useful information
• Outside festival days the church may be closed, but the view is worth the climb.
• It is an exposed spot: in winter it can be very cold and windy.
