A basilica like a fairy castle

There are places that, just by looking at them, provoke strong suggestions and emotions in us. One such place is the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows in Castelpetroso, a town in the province of Isernia.

Set atop the hill, with its spires in perfect neo-Gothic style, it observes the surrounding area as if it were an ancient fairy tale castle.
And instead it is a site of extraordinary religious importance.

On the very site where the basilica stands, in fact, on March 22, 1888, Our Lady appeared to two shepherdesses, Bibiana and Serafina. The first apparition was followed by others. Immediately, therefore, the procedure for the recognition of the apparitions was initiated, which took place very quickly.

On September 28, 1890, only two and a half years after the first apparition, construction of the Basilica began with the laying of the foundation stone. Construction finished, then, only in 1975.

The style is neo-Gothic with a construction consisting of seven chapels clearly visible from above. In the center is a dome as high as 54 meters. From the church begins the Via Matris, a 750-meter-long path along which the seven Marian sorrows are depicted and which ends at the precise spot of the apparitions.

Inside are numerous works all by artists from Molise. One of the most important is a mosaic depicting St. Martin. There is no shortage of paintings by the painter Amedeo Trivisonno.

This place, which immediately became dear to the people of Molise and of great importance to the Church, resulted in Pope Paul VI proclaiming Mary Most Holy Our Lady of Sorrows of Castelpetroso patroness of Molise on December 6, 1973.