Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola di Tropea

Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola in Tropea church of Santa Maria dell'Isola rises in Tropea, on the cliff opposite the town, one that was once completely surrounded by the sea For many years it belonged to the Basilian monks and from the 11th century onwards the Benedictine monks lived there. It was Robert Guiscard, the Norman duke, who wanted the change from the Greek to the Latin rite around 1060. Following the earthquakes of 1783 and 1905, little of the original structure has been preserved. The staircase leading up to it was built around 1810. It has become one of the world's most symbolic places in Calabria, and is of medieval origin.Legend of the church of Santa Maria dell'IsolaA legend that tells how the virgin came to the village. At the time of the iconoclasm, a statue of the Virgin arrived in Tropea from the East. The people went down to the lido, together with the bishop and the mayor, to celebrate the arrival of the wooden statue of the Madonna. The two chiefs of the town decided, by common consent, to install the statue of the Madonna inside a niche in a natural cave in the rock of the cliff. Unfortunately, the statue was too big for the size of the niche. It was for this reason that the community leaders summoned a carpenter to solve the problem by sawing off the Madonna's legs. But the carpenter was paralysed in his arms as soon as he placed the saw on the statue, and the mayor and the bishop died at the same time. In the days that followed, Our Lady began to grace her people, performing miraculous acts for the sick who were taken to where the Madonna was placed. Until a few decades ago, devotees used to accompany their sick loved ones to the same spot in the grotto, in the hope of a grace.  

Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola in Tropeachurch of Santa Maria dell'Isola stands in Tropea, on the cliff opposite the town, one that was once completely surrounded by the sea For many years it belonged to the Basilian monks and from the 11th century onwards Benedictine monks lived there. It was Robert Guiscard, the Norman duke, who wanted the change from the Greek to the Latin rite around 1060. Following the earthquakes of 1783 and 1905, little of the original structure has been preserved. The staircase leading up to it was built around 1810.It has become one of the world's most symbolic places in Calabria and is of medieval origin.Legend of the Church of Santa Maria dell'IsolaA legend that tells how the virgin came to the village. At the time of the iconoclasm, a statue of the Virgin arrived in Tropea from the East. The people went down to the lido, together with the bishop and the mayor, to celebrate the arrival of the wooden statue of the Madonna. The two chiefs of the town decided, by common consent, to install the statue of the Madonna inside a niche in a natural cave in the rock of the cliff. Unfortunately, the statue was too big for the size of the niche. It was for this reason that the community leaders summoned a carpenter to solve the problem by sawing off Our Lady's legs, but the carpenter was paralysed in his arms as soon as he placed the saw on the statue, and the mayor and the bishop died in the process. In the days that followed, Our Lady began to grace her people, performing miraculous acts for the sick who were taken to where the Madonna was placed. Until a few decades ago, devotees used to accompany their sick loved ones to the same spot in the grotto, in the hope of a grace.