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In 1478 Duchess Giustiniana Orsini (wife
of Raimondo Orsini, Duke of Gravina and the vice-king of Naples) moved
to Scandriglia where, unfortunately, her first
son became seriously ill. The Ducchess was devastated by tragedy and
addressed numerous pleas to the Madonna delle Grazie in order to save
her son. She promised to build a sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna if
the young boy was healed from is terrible sickness. Her prayers were
soon fulfilled
and
the boy miraculously returned to good health. The Duchess, however,
forgot her vow and her son again begame ill. Fortunately, and
strangely, the boy's health improved, and this time his prents, after
a request to Pope Sisto IV, decided to construct the promised
sanctuary, appointing the Portuguese Jaoo da Silva e Menezes as
director in charge of the work. Joao da Silva was later to become
famous as friar Amedeo when he entered the Franciscan Order. The whole
structure was completed in 1480 and the miraculous image of the
Madonna was trasferred there from the Baronial palace of Nerola. Nel
1566 Pope Pio V abolished the Amadeiti congregation and the monastery,
upon request of Cardinal Flavio Orsini, was entrusted tio the reformed
Minor Friars of "dell'Osservanza" A magnificent avenue, sided by
cypresses planted in the first half of the last century, gives access
to the religious building. Once through its walls, two doors placed
under a larger arcade lead us to the internal church and monastery.
The single nave church has a polygonal apse and a truss roof whilst
the three chapels open on to the left hand-side of the hall. The first
of these chapels bears a finely finished wooden painting in tempera
depicting a "Madonna in trono con bambino tra i ss. Francesco e
Antonio" attribued to the fifteenth century School of Umbria and
Lazio. On the high altar we can admire the fondly worshipped image of
the " Madonna delle Grazie". The whole structure is completed by a
large cloister and a refectory whose walls conserve a fine and
precious fifteenth century fresco representing the "Crocefissione".
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