Pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Canneto — Nativity of the Virgin

The Canneto Sanctuary, a Millennial Site

Nestled in the Trigno Valley, near Roccavivara in the province of Campobasso, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Canneto is one of the oldest places of worship in Molise. The current church dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries, but Marian devotion has roots stretching back to Roman times and was consolidated after the Council of Ephesus in 431. Among its treasures are a 15th-century wooden statue, the Virgin of the Smile, which conveys serenity and inner peace to visitors, a three-arched pulpit from 1223, and a 10th-century relief of the Last Supper.

September 8th, the Nativity of the Virgin

The sanctuary is intensely visited from May to October — particularly on Easter Monday, Ferragosto, and for the September 8th feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, one of the most solemn days of the year. On this day, the sanctuary becomes the destination of a great pilgrimage, with solemn masses, a procession with the statue of the Madonna, markets, and moments of sacred and folk music.

A Destination of Faith in the Trigno Valley

Under the care of the Franciscan Sisters of Charity and the priests of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, the Canneto Sanctuary continues to attract individuals and families from all over the region. The September 8th pilgrimage is the culmination of a devotion that spans centuries and inextricably links Roccavivara and the Trigno Valley to the Madonna del Canneto.