Madonna delle Grazie

Abstract

Enshrined in a niche protected by glass in the Santuario Santa Maria delle Grazie, Vallo della Lucania, is a sculpture of the Madonna delle Grazie. The terracotta statue depicts the Virgin holding the Christ child in her left arm. A gold mantle drapes across the Virgin’s body. Both mother and child wear crowns, and a rosary is placed on Christ’s right arm. The cult of the Madonna of the Graces is prominent across Campania, and Mary was and is still recognized as a symbol of fertility. Traditional Italian depictions of the Madonna of the Graces frequently feature Mary offering Christ her breast or Christ nursing from his mother. But the Madonna in this image is pointing her breast in the direction of the observer. The imagery of the Virgin Mary offering her breast to devotees is popular in Campania. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.