It is a small jewel framed between two rows of cypresses. One of the most important attractions in San Quirico d'Orcia and Val d'Orcia... The Val d’Orcia, a #UNESCO World Heritage, includes the historic centers and much of the territory of the municipalities of Castiglione d’Orcia, Montalcino, Pienza, Radicofani, San Quirico d’Orcia... #tuttitaly
The chapel of the Madonna is located on a dirt road that connects Pienza to San Quirico d'Orcia and is placed under UNESCO protection.
Following solid seismic shocks, the structure, probably of late Renaissance origin, was redesigned by the architect Giuseppe Partini who, in his work, was inspired by sixteenth-century models.
The church housed a statue of the Madonna, dating back to the Renaissance period, sculpted by the artist Andrea della Robbia.
According to a tradition, around 1650, a young shepherd, passing by with his sheep, stopped to drink in the well adjacent to the church. After lowering the large wooden bucket, he tried to pull it up again but quickly realized it was stuck. He thus began to pull with all his strength until he finally succeeded in the enterprise. Inside the bucket, he found the statue of the Madonna.
Water for a long time was considered miraculous, and people went to drink it and fill bottles to take away as a symbol of devotion and blessing.
Since the church has been closed for a long time, it is possible to admire the statue inside the church of the same name in San Quirico d'Orcia.
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