Trekking to the Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Avvocata in Maiori – Amalfi coast

The Santuario dell’Avvocata above Maiori is on the Falerzio mount, also known as the Avvocata mount, because of the famous shrine.

It is a pilgrimage destination and people come here from everywhere especially on the Virgin Mary celebration days soon after the Whit Monday.

Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to Gabriel the shepherd in a cavern on the Falerzio Mount and asked him to build the shrine (built in 1485 AD).

Gabriel soon quit the shepherd job and begun building a chapel in the cavern to spread the Virgin worship. The Avvocata is still worshiped nowadays.

The path from Maiori to the Santuario dell’Avvocata is short but steep; the strenuous climb from the small village of Maiori to the shrine standing at 900 meters above sea level is pretty much symbolic. Those who walk this path and reach the top, believer or not, will be pervaded by a deep sense of peace that seems divine.

The path starts from Piazza D’Amato in Maiori and proceed on a mountain path that become steeper and steeper as it goes up the Falerzio mount.

After half an hour you will reach the “chestnut tree water” spring, then keep walking until you get to a fork. Proceed along the path on the right until you reach a sequence of yellow marks that shows the path to the shrine.

During the walk, you will pass by the Grotta delle Soppressate (Italian Salami Grotto); after ten more minutes you will see a small fountain, prelude of the shrine.