Nostra Signora di Reggio Sanctuary, Catholic church and shrine in Vernazza, Italy

Nostra Signora di Reggio Sanctuary is a stone church in Vernazza with a simple Romanesque gable facade topped by Baroque decorations. Its marble lunette shows the Virgin and Child, and the interior has three naves in a Latin cross plan, rebuilt in 1850, with old capitals and mostly Baroque decoration.

This sanctuary was founded before the 11th century on sacred ground and first documented in 1248 as Santa Maria. The name was changed to Reggio by 1318.

The sanctuary holds a 14th-century painting of the Black Madonna with Child Jesus that has been linked to healing events since 1615. Visitors come to venerate this image and seek intercession through their prayers.

The paved path to the sanctuary is about two kilometres long and starts at the Vernazza railway station, climbing through cultivated terraces. Along the way stand a series of small chapels, each holding a Station of the Cross. The route ends at the church's flat forecourt, shaded by old trees.

The grounds feature an ancient cypress tree approximately 800 years old that stands 23 meters tall with a diameter of 4 meters. This tree is among the oldest in the wider region.