The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Canneto, Italy

In 1930, a parish priest named Don Duilio Lemme stood before a half-buried church in the Trigno River valley. Floods had been swallowing the sanctuary for nearly a century—the torrents of 1845 and 1850 had deposited so much silt that the ancient building had nearly disappeared beneath the earth. Lemme began to dig. Five years later, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Canneto emerged from the mud, its Romanesque bones intact, ready to receive pilgrims once more. What Lemme rescued reaches back far beyond medieval stonework. The sanctuary rises on the foundations of a first-century Roman villa rustica, its columns and capitals salvaged from pagan structures and pressed into Christian service. Benedictine monks documented their presence here in 703 AD in the Chronicon Volturnense. Today, pilgrims find a church that layers fifteen centuries of devotion: Roman spolia, Romanesque architecture, a smiling fourteenth-century Madonna, and the ongoing care of the Franciscan Sisters of Charity. The reeds (canneti) that once choked the riverbanks gave this place its name, but the floods that threatened its existence could not extinguish the faith that draws the faithful here each September.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

Christian worship at this site was announced as early as the sixth century by the Bishops of Trivento, though the first Marian sanctuary likely arose after the Council of Ephesus proclaimed Mary Theotokos—Mother of God—in 431 AD. The Chronicon Volturnense records a monastery here from 703 AD, placing Canneto among the earliest documented religious foundations in the region. The Benedictines of San Vincenzo al Volturno, and later those of Montecassino, shaped the church that stands today. Abbot Rainaldo rebuilt the sanctuary between 1137 and 1166, as recorded in the carved lunette above the portal: ABBATE RAYNALDO FECIT. The crenellated bell tower followed in 1329, erected under Abbot Nicola. Four stone lions—two on the church, two on the tower—point south toward Montecassino, silent witnesses to the abbey's authority over this distant daughter house. The Benedictines departed in 1474, and the sanctuary entered a long decline. Then came the floods. The Trigno River and its tributary, the Ponte Musa, deposited layer upon layer of silt between 1845 and 1850. The church sank. Pilgrims forgot. Don Duilio Lemme refused to let the sanctuary vanish. Beginning in 1930, the parish priest of Roccavivara organized the excavation and restoration. By 1935, the church stood clear of the earth, its doors open again. Today, the Franciscan Sisters of Charity and priests of the Institute of the Incarnate Word maintain the sanctuary under the Diocese of Trivento.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Canneto

Santuario di Santa Maria del Canneto

Sanctuary of Saint Mary of Canneto The Romanesque church presents a simple sloping façade pierced by a portal whose lunette bears Abbot Rainaldo's inscription. Three naves divided by columns and pillars lead to three apses—no transept interrupts the longitudinal flow. The builders salvaged freely from the Roman villa and necropolis that preceded them: classical columns, carved capitals, Latin inscriptions pressed into Christian service. The eye is drawn to the wooden polychrome Madonna, crafted in the fourteenth or fifteenth century. Known as the Madonna del Sorriso—the Virgin of the Smile—for her serene expression, she rests on a Romanesque capital atop a section of Roman column, a triple testament to the layers beneath. A fifteenth-century wooden crucifix hangs in the left nave, and behind the altar, a modern tabernacle by sculptor Gino Legnaghi (1994) provides the liturgical focus. Perhaps the most remarkable survival is the pulpit, or ambo, dated to 1223. Three unequal arches support seven small shrines containing six monks carved in relief, their postures depicting the Benedictine ideal of ora et labora—pray and work. At the altar, a tenth-century relief of the Last Supper serves as the frontal, its figures worn but unmistakable. Address Contrada Canneto, 86020 Roccavivara CB GPS 41.8541154, 14.6016941 Map Google Maps Web beweb.chiesacattolica.it

Roman Villa Archaeological Site

Behind the church, the excavated remains of a first-century villa rustica reveal the sanctuary's deepest roots. Agricultural operations once filled these grounds—olive presses, storage areas, the infrastructure of rural Roman life. Fragments of this vanished world survive within the church itself, reused by medieval builders who saw no contradiction between pagan beauty and Christian purpose.

Bell Tower

Campanile The twenty-five-meter crenellated tower completed in 1329 rises beside the church. Narrow single-lancet windows pierce the lower levels; a double order of triple-lancet windows opens the upper reaches. Two of the four stone lions perch here, maintaining their eternal vigil toward the mother house at Montecassino.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Feast of the Nativity of Mary — September 8

The principal feast draws pilgrims from throughout Molise and beyond for the annual celebration of Mary's birth. The day begins with solemn Mass at the sanctuary, followed by a procession carrying the statue of the Madonna del Sorriso through the traditional route. Pilgrims who have walked from surrounding villages join those who arrived by car, united in a devotion that predates the floods, the Benedictine departure, and perhaps even the stone church itself. Evening brings fireworks over the river valley, closing the feast in a blaze of light and sound.

Additional Pilgrimage Days

Easter Monday (Lunedì in Albis) and the Assumption (August 15) also draw significant crowds. Family pilgrimages occur throughout the warm months, from May to October, when the valley's pines and olive groves provide welcome shade.

🛏️ Where to Stay

Hotel Lo Smeraldo ⭐⭐⭐ — Medieval-style countryside hotel approximately one kilometer from the sanctuary, with restaurant serving local Molisan cuisine, garden terrace with mountain views, pool, and free parking. Reserve this hotel Bellavista (B&B) — Ultra-modern apartment in Roccavivara with voice-controlled lighting, mountain and river views, full kitchen, and exceptional breakfast featuring local specialties. Hosts Enzo and Iresa receive outstanding reviews for hospitality. Reserve this hotel

🚗 Getting There

By Car: The SS650 (Strada Statale Trignina) provides the most practical access to Roccavivara and the sanctuary. The road follows the Trigno River valley, offering scenic views of the landscape that has drawn pilgrims for centuries. Free parking is available at the sanctuary. By Train: The nearest stations are Termoli and Vasto-San Salvo, both on the Adriatic coast. From either station, continue by regional bus or rental car—approximately one hour inland. By Bus: Routes CB 027 and CB 027 BIS serve Roccavivara, with the bus stop approximately five kilometers from the sanctuary itself. Walking from the village takes about an hour; transportation planning is advisable. By Air: Abruzzo Airport lies approximately 112 kilometers from Roccavivara, offering the nearest commercial flights.

📗 Further Reading

Online Resources: Santuario di Santa Maria di Canneto — Official ecclesiastical database entry with architectural and historical details. (BeWeB – Beni Ecclesiastici in Web) Chiesa di Santa Maria del Canneto — Cultural heritage record for the sanctuary. (CulturaItalia)

🔗 Useful Links

Diocese of Trivento — Diocesan website with parish information and pilgrim resources. Roccavivara Tourism — Municipal website with local information and event announcements.

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Trivento (25 km) — The diocesan seat preserves the Cathedral of Saints Nazario, Celso e Vittore, with origins in the early Christian period. The town's strategic position on a rocky spur made it an important center of ecclesiastical administration for the surrounding valleys. Agnone (30 km) — Known as the "Athens of Sannio" for its cultural heritage, this mountain town houses the Pontifical Marinelli Foundry, which has cast bells for the Vatican since the Middle Ages. The Church of Sant'Emidio and other historic churches reward exploration. Pietrabbondante (35 km) — The Samnite sanctuary and theater complex, dating to the second century BC, offers insight into the pre-Roman peoples of this region. Though not a Christian pilgrimage site, the archaeological remains contextualize the long sacred history of these mountains.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"Mary is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus."

— St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary, §55