Santuario della Madonna di Galeano

Not far from the center of Torchiarolo, the green of the Salento countryside surrounds the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Galeano, a place of deep devotion. Founded by the Basilian monks and later destroyed, it was rebuilt by the faithful.\n\nFrom Holy Saturday to the Tuesday after Pasqua, the small church forms the backdrop to the Feast of the Madonna di Galeano. The solemn pilgrimage to the sanctuary is an homage to the Virgin, whose image is at the center of the miraculous event linked to the building.\n\nIn the 17th century, the farmers of Torchiarolo working in the Galeano district were unable to move their plow until one of them noticed that it was the effigy of Mary with the Child that was blocking it.\n\nIt seems the icon had been buried by the Basilian monks to protect it from iconoclastic fury. The work, which was destroyed, has been faithfully reproduced and stands on the side altar of the sanctuary.