The most well-known among the churches and chapels outside the walls of Laurenzana that are part of the Marian devotions is, for several reasons, Santa Maria della Neve, Church of the Venerable Franciscan Convent of the Observant Fathers founded in 1473 near an ancient chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, which was demolished along with part of the convent in 1879 to transform the site into a public cemetery. Its decline was caused by the suppressive laws of the liberal government after the Unification of Italy. It is never mentioned in the oldest pastoral visits because it was not under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese; it is recorded, but not always, in those from the early 1800s.
The internal altars dedicated to Marian worship were: St. Mary of the Snow, the main altar dedicated to the Virgin; St. Mary of Graces, the altar on which the Body of Blessed Giles was kept; Immaculate Conception, an altar with a statue, currently located in the Sanctuary of Carmine, under the patronage of the Dell’Orco Family; St. Mary of Help, another altar where mass was celebrated.
Information about the Franciscan Convent of St. Mary of the Snow
Contrada Convento
85014 Laurenzana (Potenza)
0971961103
comunelaurenzana@rete.basilicata.it
https://www.comune.laurenzana.pz.it
Source: MIBACT
