Apulica — Taste Travel Together

APULICA / FAITH

Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola

Sanctuary · Tropea · Calabria

In brief

Festivals and dates

A thousand years on the rock

The sandstone rock on which the sanctuary stands was once a true island, separated from the mainland. Its Christian origins are old: according to the Municipality of Tropea, a hermit community of Eastern monks dedicated to Saint Menas settled there in the sixth century; the sanctuary's own site speaks of ascetic monks in the early Middle Ages, followed by a Basilian community.

In the eleventh century, as the Normans established themselves in Calabria, the Island passed to the Benedictines of Montecassino. The donation, attributed to Duchess Sichelgaita, wife of Robert Guiscard, was formalised in 1090 by their son Roger Borsa and is also recorded on a panel of Montecassino's bronze door. From here the Latin rite probably spread through Tropea and its surroundings.

An inscription records the consecration of the church on 23 April 1397. In the Renaissance the building was radically transformed, and at the end of the seventeenth century it gained a portico with lodgings for the monks. After the 1905 earthquake it was rebuilt to a design by the Abbey, taking on its present form. Reopened for worship on 14 August 2014 after a nine-year restoration, it returned to the direct management of Montecassino in 2026.

Sources: Storia - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola Tropea · Comune di Tropea - Luogo: Santuario di Santa Maria dell'Isola · Catalogo generale dei Beni Culturali - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola, Tropea · Santuari diocesani - Diocesi di Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea · Festa della Natività della Beata Vergine Maria - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola Tropea

A Benedictine Marian sanctuary

The sanctuary is dedicated to the Virgin: under the Benedictines it took the title of Santa Maria del Presepe, and the spiritual heart of the church today is the venerated image of the Virgin of the Assumption. The altar also holds the statues of the Holy Family, the Virgin, Saint Joseph and the Child, which are at the centre of the August feast.

The bond with Montecassino is also a pact between communities: the 1090 donation gave rise to a twinning between Tropea and the Abbey that continues today, and by tradition the Abbot of Montecassino travels to Tropea for the feast of the Nativity of Mary. In 2002 Bishop Domenico Tarcisio Cortese recognised the church as a diocesan sanctuary, while it remains under the Abbey's jurisdiction.

The faithful and visitors climb the rock to pray and to look out over the sea of the Costa degli Dei, in a place the Abbey describes as poised between spirituality and natural beauty.

Sources: Comune di Tropea - Luogo: Santuario di Santa Maria dell'Isola · Santuari diocesani - Diocesi di Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea · Festa della Natività della Beata Vergine Maria - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola Tropea · Festa della Natività della Beata Vergine Maria - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola di Tropea / 8 settembre 2026 - Abbazia di Montecassino · Santuario - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola Tropea

The rock, the church and the viewpoint

The sanctuary, one of the most photographed sights in Tropea, is reached by a staircase cut into the rock. Above the entrance door is the coat of arms of Montecassino: on the left the rampant lion of the Anicia family, to which Saint Benedict belonged according to tradition, on the right the abbey from which a river flows, with a Latin motto calling for God to be glorified in all things.

Inside, the faithful venerate the image of the Virgin of the Assumption and the statues of the Holy Family on the altar. The complex also includes a botanical garden with a viewpoint, and the terrace opens onto one of the widest panoramas of the Costa degli Dei.

In the centre of Tropea, the cathedral of Norman origin with its two Gothic portals is worth a visit, together with the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century palazzi between Via Boiano and Largo Galluppi and the church of San Demetrio.

Sources: Storia - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola Tropea · Comune di Tropea - Luogo: Santuario di Santa Maria dell'Isola · Catalogo generale dei Beni Culturali - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola, Tropea · Santuari diocesani - Diocesi di Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea · Santuario - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola Tropea · Cosa vedere nel borgo di Tropea - Italia.it

The Assumption at sea and the Nativity of Mary

The sanctuary's main feast is held on 14 and 15 August and is preceded by a novena. On the afternoon of the 15th the statues of the Holy Family are carried on the shoulders of bearers down the rock's 91 steps to the beach known as «U Mari Picciulu», and from there loaded onto a fishing boat. Many of the faithful follow the boat along the Costa degli Dei as far as Capo Cozzo, in the territory of Zambrone, before turning back towards the Bay of Riaci; on their return the statues are placed back in the sanctuary and Mass is celebrated.

On 8 September the sanctuary celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a solemnity to which it is especially attached. By tradition the pontifical Mass is presided over by the Abbot of Montecassino; after a few years' break, the custom was revived in 2026 by Abbot Luca Fallica, and the day ended with a concert and fireworks. The following day, 9 September, Tropea celebrates the Madonna di Romania, patroness of the diocese of Tropea.

Sources: Santuari diocesani - Diocesi di Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea · Festa della Natività della Beata Vergine Maria - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola Tropea · Festa della Natività della Beata Vergine Maria - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola di Tropea / 8 settembre 2026 - Abbazia di Montecassino

Visiting information

The sanctuary is on Via Lungomare, below the historic centre of Tropea. It is reached by a staircase cut into the rock: there is no ramp, so the climb is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

The sanctuary is run directly by the Abbey of Montecassino, which publishes notices, celebrations and contacts, including the pastoral section, on the official website santuariosantamariadellisolatropea.it. Opening is seasonal, so it is worth checking the calendar on the website before planning a visit.

Sources: Comune di Tropea - Luogo: Santuario di Santa Maria dell'Isola · Santuario - Santuario Santa Maria dell'Isola Tropea

The place

Sources