The Church of Santa Maria di Polsi is a Church located in the heart of the Aspromonte massif, near the village of San Luca in the Italian region Calabria. It was founded in 1144, the year of the Norman king Roger II of Sicily. The Church and monastery are in a picturesque setting at the bottom of the gorge surrounded by high mountains. Visible to the West mountain Montalto (1955 m) – highest peak of the Aspromonte. This arrangement makes it very difficult to access, several years ago to Police can be reached only on foot.

Santa Maria di Polsi is the Basilian monastery, one of the last surviving in Calabria. The Church has three naves, the Central one stands out classic mesh arch, which is decorated with leaves of pure gold. Arches, resting on strong pillars, decorated with magnificent stucco work by local artists. And drawings on the walls around depict scenes from the life of the virgin Mary. Vintage Madonna statue was carved from tuff Sicilian artist in the 16th century. Another statue of the Madonna is kept in an alcove of white marble. Once in fifty years in the Church is an important event – the crowning of statues of the Madonna. The first time the coronation was held in 1860, the year in honor of the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the statue in the temple.

In General, the origins of this cult back to ancient times. In the nearby town of Locri, a former ancient Greek colony, archaeologists have discovered several artifacts made back in pre-Roman times and evidence of the existence in these places female cult, probably dedicated to Persephone. In the 7th century the monks of baseline founded the monastery in which he praised the Madonna in the Greek canons until the end of the 15th century they were not expelled. However, today, pilgrims from all over Calabria and Eastern Sicily arrive in Policy to worship the virgin Mary, - their number during the celebration reaches 50 thousand people!

Interestingly, in the early 20th century in the Church of Santa Maria di Polsi held their annual meeting of the members of the Calabrian mafia – ndrangetty. In 1969, the year the meeting was raided by the police, who arrested about 70 members of the mafia. And in recent years the number of pilgrims to the temple declined slightly because erupted in 2007-m to year of conflict between two mafia clans of San Luca.