Rock Oratory in Avola
The Rock Oratory and the Aedicule of the Madonna delle Grazie are located in Avola Antica, the ancient town of Avola destroyed by the earthquake of 1693. Avola Antica rises along the slopes of Mount Aquilone and today the remains of the ancient village are visible and the Necropolis which testify to the presence of this place in pre-Greek times.
The Rock Oratory and the Aedicule of the Madonna delle Grazie are located along the hairpin bends of the mountain. The aedicule is a small altar dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie, the name derives from a discovery in this place of a miraculous painting now kept in the nearby Hermitage.
Next to the edic is the rock oratory. Artifacts found on the site testify that the cave was certainly used in the Christian era but it is believed that its origins are much older.
