Shrine of the Madonna della Grotta

The legend tells of a ship of Turkish sailors in the grip of a storm, at a time long ago. The wind blew them back as they crossed the coast, right at Praia a Mare, preventing them from continuing their journey. The contours of the story are of course blurred, but at some point the crew became convinced that it was the statue of the Madonna they had on board that was the cause of the strange phenomenon. 
The captain therefore decided, to prevent it from being thrown overboard by his men, to place it on a rock inside a cave. Only at that point did the waters subside and the ship was able to set sail again.

Has the charm and mystery of this place already intrigued you? Today the story continues here, in the small church set in the rocks that is in fact called the Shrine of the Madonna della Grotta. A place that seems out of time, cosy and silent, inviting to prayer and reflection. To reach it, you have to park your car and climb up and up a flight of steps, but the panorama that will appear before you, with the Gulf of Policastro, will repay any effort.

And there's more: the Shrine of the Madonna della Grotta in Praia a Mare is among the eight jubilee churches where the faithful can gain indulgence, according to the Church's instructions. Unfortunately, the original statue of the Virgin, about eighty centimetres high, was stolen and never found again, but in its place there is a copy that maintains its charm intact.