Cosoleto
Church of Santa Maria
delle Grazie
Cosoleto has two churches dedicated to Santa Maria delle Grazie; both are located in the center of the village. The "old church", which returned to be the main parish church in 2012, and the "new church", which hosted the faithful until the restoration of the older church was completed. The original church of Santa Maria delle Grazie was heavily damaged by the earthquake of 1908; damage that was finally repaired between the 1920s and 1930s. Subsequently, a second major restoration became necessary in the mid-1980s. The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie houses the statue of the Madonna delle Grazie, the statues of San Giuseppe, Santa Rita, the Sacro Cuore di Gesù, Madonna degli Angeli, and that of the Addolorata. There is also the statue of the patron saint of Cosoleto, San Sebastiano, whose feast day is celebrated on January 20. The church has three entrances from the outside, featuring wooden doors decorated with bas-reliefs, and a bell tower on the left side, whose bells originated from the ancient church of San Nicola di Aiello, which once stood near the Castle destroyed by the earthquake of 1783.