Oratorio di Santa Maria Assunta

Riomaggiore


Built by a Christian brotherhood in the 16th century, this simple stone church is home to the unusual 14th-century wooden statue Madonna delle catene (Madonna of the chains). It depicts the Mother of God standing over chains, meant to represent the kidnapping and enslavement of coastal inhabitants by Barbary Pirates who raided the coast over the years. The artist is unknown.


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