Marian sanctuary · Medieval origins · Province of Naples, Campania

Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie Incoronata

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie Incoronata is a Marian pilgrimage site in the Province of Naples, Campania, dedicated to a venerated image of the Virgin Mary crowned by divine favour. Like many southern Italian sanctuaries, it combines medieval devotional origins with later Baroque elaboration, drawing pilgrims from the Campanian hinterland who come to honour the Incoronata — the Crowned Virgin — and to seek intercession for health, protection, and thanksgiving.

At a glance

Type: Marian pilgrimage sanctuary
Period: Medieval origins; expanded in early modern and Baroque periods
Style: Baroque and vernacular Campanian sacred architecture
Location: Province of Naples, Campania, Italy
Coordinates: 40.7619° N, 14.0311° E

Overview

The sanctuary is dedicated to the Madonna Incoronata, a title given to miraculous images of the Virgin Mary believed to have been crowned by divine intervention or formally crowned by canonical authority in recognition of their miraculous power. The province of Naples and the broader Campanian region are dotted with such sanctuaries, each associated with a specific sacred image, a founding legend, and a tradition of votive offerings that documents centuries of popular piety. This sanctuary, situated west of Naples near the coast, serves as a focal point for local Marian devotion.

History

Marian sanctuaries in Campania typically trace their origins to a reported apparition or the discovery of a miraculous image, often in a rural or peripheral location, followed by the construction of a chapel and, over subsequent centuries, a more substantial church. The title Incoronata (Crowned) was formally conferred on venerated images through a papal or episcopal coronation ceremony, a practice that spread widely in the Counter-Reformation period as part of the Catholic Church’s affirmation of Marian devotion. The sanctuary’s Baroque fabric reflects patronage from local noble families and religious orders who supported its expansion between the 17th and 18th centuries.

What you see

The sanctuary church presents the characteristic features of Campanian sacred architecture: a decorated facade, a nave lined with votive plaques and ex-votos left by pilgrims over the centuries, and a richly appointed main altar framing the crowned image of the Virgin. Side chapels contain funerary monuments and devotional paintings typical of the Counter-Reformation period. The surrounding precinct may include a sacristy, a cloister or portico, and facilities for pilgrims; the accumulation of votive offerings — silver hearts, crutches, painted ex-votos — forms a vivid archive of popular religious experience.

Cultural significance

The sanctuary represents the living tradition of Marian pilgrimage in Campania, a region whose sacred landscape is inseparable from its cultural identity. The Incoronata cult connects communities to a shared history of prayer and mutual support through hardship, expressed in the accumulated ex-votos and the annual feast-day celebrations that bring together pilgrims from across the province. Such sanctuaries also serve as repositories of local devotional art, craft, and oral tradition that mainstream cultural heritage surveys often overlook.

Practical information

Address: Province of Naples, Campania, Italy
Access: Open for worship and pilgrimage; access generally free
Hours: Check official website or diocesan listings for current Mass times and visiting hours

Getting there

The sanctuary is located in the western Province of Naples, accessible by car from Naples city centre in approximately 30–40 minutes via the tangenziale or the coastal road. Check local bus routes from Naples for public transport options; the area is also served by Circumflegrea or Ferrovia Cumana suburban rail lines depending on the exact location.

Sources & resources

Cultural Heritage Online

The Santuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie Incoronata rises close to the splendid inlet on &nbsp;Marina Corricella, the fishing village, and overlooks the historic square of &quot;Sammarezio&quot;, the Piazza dei Martiri of 1799, where the twelve procidani, victims of the repression against the Republic Neapolitan, were hanged.



As we read in the &quot;History of Procida&quot; by Michele Parascandolo, the first historical news date back to 1521, when a small chapel was located at the foot of the climb leading to the Terra Casata (or Murata). Inside, among candelabra some hanging vows and a whale&rsquo;s coast, was venerated &quot;a cona of table&quot; on which the Virgin was painted.



The Church was enlarged in 1600, but there was not enough height for the building of a dome because the Barons of Iorio, who lived in the opposite tower, prevented him to have a better view of the sea and the island. The particular geographical configuration of the Church requested new transformations; its &nbsp;majestic dome between the sky and the sea, was raised in 1928.



In the church you can admire four altars.

The oldest altar, located on the right and dated 1732, is that of the Crucifix, powerful wooden sculpture of unknown author; on the left is the one dedicated to St. Joseph, topped by a painting dating back to 1900. The current high altar, made of selected marbles and with a valuable ciborium, was consecrated on 26 June 1863. In 1866 was built the altar on which today is exposed the picture of the young martyr St. Maria Goretti; it was originally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Salette, when the cult of the Apparitions of the Virgin in the homonymous French little town was in full fervor.



The last altar, dating back to 1867, is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi: an ancient canvas (probably the oldest of those on display) portrays the seraphic patriarch at the time of his death. The Church was among the privileged for &quot;the purchase of the Indulgence&quot; called &quot;della Porziuncola&quot;, as can be seen from a plaque of 1881.



In the sacristy you can admire the clothing, solid and artistic work of marquetry sor-rentino dated 1890, performed by Gaetano Lauro who handed down the figures of Salvatore and Bernardino Albano (collectors) and Luigi Perillo (bursar). In 2015 it was restored, at the expense of the Parish and the faithful, by the firm MP Restauro of Portici with the supervision of the Superintendence.



On the apse wall reigns the wonderful canvas of the Virgin (original image probably 1500, current image dating in-certain) which in 1854 was embellished by the Procidani with a mantle of gold and silver in thanks for the escaped danger from the wave of cholera that had struck the Kingdom of Naples.



The canvas has been repainted several times. Taking into account the chromatic vivacity of the Virgin&rsquo;s clothing with the solution of the head covered by the mantle, the color of the complexion and the perfect oval of the face with very softened features (characteristics of the Mediterranean beauty), some argue that it could be the work of a student of Luca Giordano (M.A. Pavone).



After the restoration in 1998, the covering and the various repaints were removed. The intervention showed the partial representation of another hand much greater than that previously visible. Every year the mantle, hooked on a plexiglass window, is back on display in July, which is dedicated to Our Lady of Grace.



&nbsp;The devotion of the Procidani towards Our Lady of Grace &nbsp;has always existed; the month of July is the month of Our Lady, it is the month of Graces: an &quot;irresistible&quot; call pushes to run to Our Lady.



There are many faithful who, alone or in groups, stop at &quot;Semmarezio&quot; to refresh their spirit on the heart of the Mother; they transform this small church into a real cathedral of prayer and praise, and undoubtedly constitute a &quot;sign of God&quot;.



The main feast is the &quot;Visitation&quot; whose anniversary, for the devotees procidani, remains strongly rooted, in the heart and in the mind, at the date of July 2nd, despite in the liturgical calendar is celebrated on May 31st.



A memorable date in the history of the church is &quot;the Coronation&quot; of August 10th, 1924, when a solemn Pontificale presided over by Cardinal Alessio Ascalesi was celebrated; on the sacred image (the Mother and the Child) were affixed, with pontifical mandate, two crowns in pure gold set with numerous diamonds, by Master Goldsmith Vincenzo Miranda.



The chroniclers of the time write that for the three consecutive days, prior to Sunday, August 10th, the sacred rite was announced not only to the population of the &quot;grancia&quot;, but to the entire island community with the festive sound of the bells of all the churches.



In 1925 the Church was erected as a Parish, while on April 10, 1930, by decree of Cardinal A. Ascalesi, it was erected as a diocesan Marian Sanctuary attached to the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome with the attached special indulgences.

https://culturalheritageonline.com/places/the-santuary-of-santa-maria-delle-grazie-incoronata-l4716/

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