History
The place has ancient Greek elements from Greek colonists. The population therefore descends from a Greek community from centuries ago. Calabrian Greek is still spoken today. The name Zeffirio is derived from Zephyros, who is the god of the west wind and dawn, according to Greek mythology.
In 925, Saracens conquered the region of Bruzzano. The town was frequently attacked by Turkish warriors, who in the 11th century used the area for the further occupation of southern Italy.
In 1783, 1905 and 1908, earthquakes devastated the region and also the town of Bruzzano Zeffirio. Thousands of victims were mourned. Afterwards, the village was rebuilt towards the sea.
The devotional image of the pilgrimage site has a legend. The depiction of Mary is found in a box on the beach. The image shows Mary holding a child and another boy chained at the ankle. This image is loaded onto a cart pulled by oxen in a procession through Bruzzano. The oxen stop at the border between Bruzzano and Zeffirio and refuse to go any further. For the residents, this is Mary's sign that a pilgrimage site must be established at the stopping point. The people build a small church and the image is given a place on the altar within it. The small church is renovated over the years and attracts daily visitors from the surrounding area.
Pilgrimage site
The village of Bruzzano Zeffirio has approximately 1300 inhabitants.
The Marian place of worship is dedicated to Our Lady and is called “Santuario Madonna della Catena” (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Chain). This name originated from the discovery of an image of Mary and two children attached to a chain.
For the small church, there is a car park.
To the left of the entrance, a plaque hangs on the wall with the text: “Maria, sorgente di grazia, in te cerchiamo rifugio, prega per noi” (in Dutch this means: “Mary, fount of grace, in you we seek refuge, pray for us”).
The church of the small pilgrimage site has the statue of Mary centrally placed on the altar. To both the left and right of the statue of Mary is a painting, such as of the cart with oxen that can no longer be moved. Several statues accompany Mary, including Saint Anthony of Padua, and she is surrounded by several cherub heads.
The pilgrimage site is not always open to visitors.
In the surrounding area, you can go for walks and enjoy the rugged landscape.
ACCESSIBILITY
The pilgrimage site is located 3 km from Bruzzano Zeffirio, in the extreme southwest of Italy, at the foot of the boot, not far from the Ionian Sea. The place belongs to the province of Reggio Calabria.
Address: Strada Comunale Bruzzano Ferruzzano, 89030 Bruzzano – Zeffirio
Experience
The furthest sanctuary on my tour through the 'boot's foot' is on the agenda. There, not far from the sea, lies the pilgrimage site of Bruzzano Zeffirio.
The area has been repeatedly struck by earthquakes. This is clearly visible on the narrow road to the Marian shrine, with houses reduced to just some walls or parts of them. No one lives here.
As the road climbs, the surface quality deteriorates increasingly. The potholes are too numerous to count and sections of the road have disappeared. It's a matter of weaving to avoid getting stuck in a rut or falling into an abyss. The speed limit for cars is 90 km/h, but that pace would immediately signal the end of my earthly existence and my experience of this place would not make it to the Marian chamber. The speed is a maximum of 20 km/h. Suddenly, stones are lying on the road. It strongly appears that my faith is being tested to reach the Marian site. A four-wheel-drive vehicle would be more suitable here.
After a few kilometres of driving from left to right on the deserted road, I arrive at the sanctuary. It stands alone in an uninhabited area with ruined houses and wild lands. The pilgrimage church looks beautiful and the restoration after the earthquakes has yielded good results.
A car is now pulling into the car park in front of the little church. I get out. I feel the silence. My suspicion turns out to be correct, because the door to the house of God is locked. I look up and see an image of Mary and Child at the very top of the facade. Then I see candles burning inside. So there have been visitors here not so long ago. The altar and presbytery can also be made out through the glass door, and I see a depiction of Our Lady. No one else is in sight, and so it's time to pray at the closed door.
To go down the hill, I take a different path, but it is in virtually the same condition as the other. After a few hundred metres the road is more passable and I see builders working on a house. They look at me, shake their heads and point downwards, where the small village of Bruzzano Zeffirio lies. After a quarter of an hour I am there and a few women look up when they see me ride past. My journey has become a sight to behold.
In the village, I park the car and look back on my visit to the small place of pilgrimage in Bruzzano Zeffirio. I notice that the little pilgrimage church is in such good condition, excellently maintained, and that the roads leading to it are in such a terrible state.
As I leave the village, I come across the road I took earlier in the day to visit the shrine. There I notice a small sign. This sign states that it is forbidden to enter the road. I didn't see that sign when I went up the hill. That was a close shave, flashes through my mind. It's fortunate that the journey was completed without any problems and no flat tyres. Mary has guided me in a motherly way on this unusual journey for me.
Environment
Walks and hikes can be done around the small town of Bruzzano Zeffirio. In the vicinity stands a dilapidated 10th-century castle. The coast is only a few kilometres from the village.
The Aspromonte National Park, with its rich flora and fauna, is located nearby at 106 km. From Gambarie Santo Stefano in Aspromonte to Bruzzano Zeffirio is 106 km to the southeast.
From the coastal town of Bovalino to Bruzzano Zeffirio involves travelling 27 km south.
Leaving the coastal town of Bianco to arrive in Bruzzano Zeffirio is a 19 km journey south.
Leaving Reggio Calabria, the provincial capital, to arrive in Bruzzano Zeffirio means travelling 72 km eastward via the SS106.
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