Madonna delle grazie
Cent. 19th
This sacred shrine tells a story of maternal love and infinite devotion. The icon of the Madonna delle Grazie, also known as the “Madonna del latte” (Nursing Madonna), depicts the Virgin Mary nursing the Baby Jesus. It is a sweet yet powerful image, chosen not only for its tenderness but for the profound significance that it holds for the women of Palo del Colle. The Madonna delle Grazie is the patron saint of pregnant women and new mothers but is especially worshipped as dispenser of graces, the small miracles that change lives. For this reason, the women of the town used to go on a pilgrimage to the “Church of the Madonna delle Grazie” in Via Bitetto, outside the town. From 5th July to 5th August, they walked to the church every day to pray and invoke the Virgin Mary’s protection. The icon is painted on copper and is a replica of an oil painting in the church of the same name. The Madonna’s face is sweet and thoughtful. She wears a jewelled crown and a blue cloak is draped around her shoulders. She wears a pink tunic and she holds her child close to her chest. The Baby Jesus is wrapped in swaddling and wears a small crown.
The maternal embrace is enclosed in a delicate oval while the corners of the work are decorated with white daisies, a symbol of purity. This icon has undergone various restoration works but has always kept its spiritual force. The last restoration was carried out in 2019, funded by the Palo del Colle Auricarro Lions Club. During the work, the writing “Tadino P. 1887” was discovered, almost certainly the artist’s name. The small altar below is tended with love by the women of the neighbourhood who gather beneath the arch and pray together during the summer pilgrimage and on the occasion of the Festival of the Madonna delle Grazie, held in the second week of October. In these moments the voices of the women of Palo del Colle recite prayers and sing hymns, perpetuating the generations-long tradition. The icon of the Madonna delle Grazie is more than a sacred image: it is the symbol of a community that has always found in the Madonna a mother who protects, nourishes and who has never ceased to dispense graces.