Laino Borgo – Sanctuary of Saint Maria of the Spasimo or of the chapels.

The Shrine dedicated to the Fainting of the Virgin Mary, has always been known as the Shrine of the Chapels due to the presence of 16 little chapels, small, simply built structures, on which construction began in 1557.

The Shrine’s founder, Domenico Longo, born in Laino Borgo, undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1556, arriving there after a difficult journey which took seven months to complete. Upon returning to his homeland in 1557, he began construction of the chapels, based on his own design, on a piece of his own land. The vision of this pious artist was to allow other believers to complete their own pilgrimage, more accessible than journeying to the Holy Land, which in the 16th century was very difficult due to the high cost, and the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean. The religious complex he built, described by Professor Giuseppe Roma as “the Jerusalem of Laino Borgo” Is unique not only in Calabria, but in all of central-southern Italy. It takes its name from the chapel dedicated to the Fainting of the Virgin Mary, which in the 19th century was incorporated in the Shrine as Its main altar.

Five nativities, constructed by the founder himself in 1557, are dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre, to the Nativity, to the Hole of the Cross on Calvary, to the Annointing Stone, and to the Ascension of Jesus, with a mould in the form of the foot of Jesus Christ inside. Others are dedicated the Fainting of the Virgin Mary, and to the Burial of the Virgin Mary. At the site of the chapels, Domenico Longo wished to give visitors a faithful vision of the Holy places he had visited. Today the Shrine is a place for those who wish to retrace the pilgrimage as imagined by this devoted inhabitant of Laino Borgo in the 16th century, or to simply spend a relaxing day in a beautiful location, rich with opportunities for quiet reflection.
“The memory which remains after having visited this sacred site, is the sensation of a place full of atmosphere and profound significance, where the august spaces of the small chapels, obligate visitors to enter one by one, and to be alone with themselves in front of the Holy Mysteries” (prof Roma).
Furthermore, every year, on the third Sunday of September, a traditional celebration is held in honour of the Blessed Virgin and votive "girdles" are prepared which add a note of folklore and color to the procession that winds through the streets of the town until it reaches the Marian Shrine.

(English translation by Leon Williams)