Il Santuario di Santa Maria di Jesu

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Jesu is the spiritual heart of Bocchigliero, a small village in the Sila Greca. Its origins date back to the 14th–15th centuries, when, according to tradition, a carved stone depicting the Virgin and Child was found among the ruins of an ancient church in the district of Basilicò.

The discovery, believed to be miraculous, was accompanied by a prodigious sign: while a peasant woman was digging the soil, she pierced the Virgin's finger with her hoe, and blood gushed from the stone.

Subsequently, a new extraordinary event occurred: the statue reappeared in a snow-covered field in the middle of August, a reminder of the Madonna della Neve (August 5). Since then, the people of Bocchigliero have erected a sanctuary dedicated to Santa Maria di Jesu at the site of the miracle, which has become a destination for pilgrimages and the heart of local Marian devotion.

Interesting Facts

The name "di Jesu" derives from the local Franciscan tradition, which spread the cult of the Name of Jesus.

The effigy of the Madonna is considered miraculous and continues to be an object of intense veneration.



The sanctuary is one of the recommended stops on the itineraries of the Marian Sila Greca and on the “Terre dei Monaci” routes.