Sanctuary of Maria Santissima of Capo d'Orlando

The Sanctuary of Maria Santissima di Capo d'Orlando, also called the Sanctuary of the Madonna, stands on top of the promontory which is the symbol of the town, in the middle of the monumental complex of the Castle. Its foundation is linked to the miraculous events of 1598 when San Cono Navacita, patron of Naso, in one of his appearances, left to the Raffa brothers, guardians of the Castle, the small simulacrum of the Madonna, quite similar to that of the Virgin venerated in Trapani, holding baby Jesus. The simulacrum, little more than the palm of a hand, was brought to Naso from which Capo d'Orlando at that time depended from an administrative point of view, but violent even if harmless earthquakes and other natural events led to believe that the Madonnina should return where it was found. A subsequent appearance of the friar was used to draw the perimeter of the church on the top of the promontory, which was to house the simulacrum. On the orders of the Bishop Monsignor Francesco Velardi della Conca, Count Girolamo Joppolo erected the Sanctuary on the top of the mountain and on October 22nd 1600, with a large procession departed from Naso, the statuette was handed over to the Church and the Orlandina community. For that day, a party with market and fair was established. On the night of 11 December 1925, the simulacrum of Maria SS. he was stolen by unknown hands. The investigations to trace the perpetrators of the theft proved useless: thus, in order to continue the devotion, a silver statuette was made, still on display in the Sanctuary. Inside the Sanctuary there are still two paintings by Gaspare Camarda from the School of Antonello da Messina, the Adoration of the shepherds of 1626 and the Crucifix between two praying monks of 1627.