Church of Santa Maria della Strada

In San Lorenzo Maggiore the Church of Santa Maria della Strada is linked to the tradition of the finding of a miraculous icon of the Madonna and Child. Over the centuries the adjoining friary passed from the Benedictines to the Augustinians and finally to the Franciscans, before being partly demolished in 1824. The present church was rebuilt between 1850 and 1860 and in 2022 it was raised to the status of Marian sanctuary.The gabled façade with its small bell tower leads into an intimate space, while the crypt corresponds to the little chapel of the legend. We like the Byzantine icon on panel, crowned in 1906 and reproduced in a majolica panel above the portal. We recommend visiting the restored friary, with its cloister and well, and coming back on the first Sunday of July for the parade of wheat floats.