Chapel of Santa Maria in Tentarano
Location: Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi
The chapel of Santa Maria in Tentarano is a small chapel founded by the Aprea family in the XV century. It was built in the area downstream of the hill known as “Deserto”. The origin of the term “Tentarano” is unknown.
In the chapel – with a vaulted roof and a single altar – there is a beautiful fresco of the Virgin nursing the Child, enclosed in a stucco frame. The image, on a red background, represents the Madonna sitting on a throne with the Child holding the mother’s breast in his hands. Both figures look outward, toward the observer. Filangieri in his “History of Massa Lubrense” writes that this fresco was much venerated and many faithful used to go pray there on Saturdays. The Virgin and Child had both, according to Filangieri’s description, a crown on the head, one of silk and the other of silver.
