Castelpetroso, Isernia, Molise. Sanctuary Of The Madonna Addolorata. The Sanctuary, Which Began With The Laying Of The First Ston Editorial Photo

At Castelpetroso stands the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Addolorata, patron saint of Molise. According to the testimony of the visionaries, the Virgin Mary first appeared on 22 March 1888 to two shepherdesses named Serafina and Bibiana in the locality of Cesa tra Santi, on the slopes of Mount Patalecchia. This first appearance was followed by others. This phenomenon was later recognized. The sanctuary, which began with the laying of the first stone on 28 September 1890 and completed in 1975, is built in neo-Gothic style; seen from above it is composed of seven chapels that represent the seven pains of the Madonna, in the center of which there is the dome 54 meters high. The sanctuary and the place of the apparitions are linked together by the Via Matris, 750 meters long, where the seven Marian pains are remembered.