Basilica of the Madonna dei Poveri

There is one more reason to visit Seminara, with its beautiful beaches set on the Costa Viola and its famous artistic ceramics. One must stop at the Basilica of the Madonna dei Poveri, because it houses a wooden statue of the ebony-skinned virgin that is the oldest in Calabria.

The cult of the Black Madonna is very much felt in the Reggio area. In this place of meditation and prayer, the faithful address requests for grace to her, comforted by a strong popular devotion that attributes a series of miracles to her. The basilica was rebuilt after the 1783 earthquake and has very interesting architecture: the façade decorated with circular motifs, the two cusped bell towers with characteristic pendentives and the prothyrum in front of the nave portal. The interior is influenced by Arab and Byzantine influences and you will be surprised by the charm of the large sculpture of the Black Madonna (ninety-two centimetres high) from ancient Tauriana, made of cedar wood and later covered in gold.

Other sculptures can be admired in the Shrine, including the statues of Mary Magdalene, Saints Peter and Paul and the silver baptismal font dating back to the late 16th century. To complete this journey through art and faith, linger in the Museum of the Basilica in whose rooms liturgical objects and vestments are displayed, as well as a rich collection of parchments and the Historical Archive of the Insigne Collegiata of Seminara. In the first room, known as the ‘Amaranto’ room, you can admire, among other things, silver votive offerings and terracotta works from Seminara. In the second, known as the ‘blue’ room, there are precious paintings such as the Immaculate by Giovanangelo d'Amato and the portrait of the Blessed Angelo. The third room, the ‘throne room’, displays the sacred vestments and the wooden throne of the Madonna dei Poveri with the objects that were placed on the statue.