Santuario della Madonna del Castello, Religious shrine in Castrovillari, Italy.

The Santuario della Madonna del Castello is a church and shrine in Castrovillari, Calabria, built in 1090 by order of Count Ruggero il Normanno and rebuilt in 1363, with later changes in the 16th and 18th centuries. It has three naves in Norman style with Arab-Byzantine friezes, and stands on a 350-metre hill overlooking the Pollino mountains.

Count Roger the Norman, son of Robert Guiscard, ordered the fortress built in 1090 to control Castrovillari after its long resistance. Legend holds that the walls collapsed each night until workers found a painted Madonna and Child in the foundations, prompting a shrine instead of a castle. The church was rebuilt in 1363 and remodelled in the 16th and 18th centuries. In 1535 Charles V decreed that every distinguished visitor enter the sanctuary.

The sanctuary draws pilgrims from across the region, especially during Marian festivals when people light candles and leave flowers at the altar. These visits are a living part of local faith that has continued without interruption for generations.

The sanctuary sits on a hilltop above the town, so the walk up from the center requires comfortable shoes and a bit of effort. Visiting in the early morning or late afternoon tends to be more comfortable, as the heat and foot traffic are lower at those times.

The church was built in 1090 as a fortress by Count Roger the Norman, but legend holds that its walls collapsed each night until workers dug deeper and found a painted Madonna and Child on the rock. The discovery halted the castle and a sanctuary rose in its place. In 1535 Charles V, returning from Tunis, entered the shrine and decreed that every notable arriving in Castrovillari should do the same.