Enclosed in a maze of narrow alleys and stairways, where the oldest noble palaces of the city stand, including those of the Spinelli family, with its remarkable Renaissance decorations, the Forestieri family, and the Mastromarchi family, the ancient parish church dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title of "Gamio" rises. The term "Gamio," derived from Greek, meaning "wedding," undoubtedly refers to the Wedding at Cana, once depicted in a painting that dominated the High Altar but has since been lost. As the title clearly suggests, its construction dates back to ancient times, when these lands were inhabited or, at the very least, influenced by the Byzantines, to whose rite the church seemingly belonged until 1568. The church's craftsmanship is attributed to Byzantine artisans, as evidenced by the figures of saints with Greek inscriptions that, according to ancient chronicles, were frescoed on the facade, which was destroyed in the last century. Between 1870 and 1874, based on designs by Giuseppe Ruffo of Catanzaro, the building was extended, and a new Neo-Palladian facade was created. The bell tower was also entirely rebuilt starting in 1882 and covered with a spire decorated with fish-scale-patterned green and yellow tiles, reminiscent of Campanian styles.

Access to the church is through one of the two side doors, adorned with ancient door panels crafted in 1612 by Giovanni Labollita. Upon entering, one immediately steps into the central nave, which, though not vast, exudes a certain solemnity, dominated by a sumptuous coffered wooden ceiling. The ceiling's intricate carvings began to be gilded by the artisan Jacono Lanfusa in 1618 and were later continued by Gio: Vincenzo de Untiis in 1628. The painted decoration with garlands of fresh roses is credited to Genesio Galtieri of Mormanno in 1787.

Above the main entrance, a fine but unfortunately non-functional organ is positioned, purchased around 1650 and later decorated with paintings in 1753 by an artist identified as Felice Spina. The left nave begins with the altar of the ancient Confraternity of St. Leonard, crafted in carved, painted, and gilded wood and dated 1662. At its center is a painting of the saint by Giocondo Bissanti, executed at the turn of the last century to replace an older panel painting documented in the church’s extensive archive. The altar table, like all others in the church, is made of marble and was the work of Father Alessandro Mastromarchi (1883-1893).

The vaulted ceiling features a series of paintings depicting Old Testament events (recently restored), attributed to various painters, including Nicola de Oliva and Francesco Viola, active between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The sequence includes The Burning Bush, The Bronze Serpent, The Giving of the Tablets, and Tobias and the Angel. Following these are the altar dedicated to the Divine Heart of Jesus, dating to the late 19th century, and the altar of St. Stephen Protomartyr, formerly belonging to the Clemente family and later the Mazziotti family, with a painting depicting the saint’s martyrdom, dated 1794. This painting was completely repainted by Bissanti, a Neapolitan painter and photographer, who was somewhat hastily commissioned at the end of the 19th century to restore or entirely renew almost all the church's paintings.

Midway through the nave is the Chapel of St. Innocent Martyr, featuring a remarkable altar in polychrome marble, built in 1772 by Marino Palmieri. Initially, this altar housed a beautiful statue of the Virgin, now placed on the High Altar. In its stead, a wooden statue of St. Innocent, of Neapolitan craftsmanship, was installed in 1831. The tabernacle door (now in the museum hall) bears a delicate painting of the Infant Jesus, though it has suffered from heavy retouching by Bissanti. Of interest are two confessionals, crafted by the Fusco workshop. Beyond the sacristy door lies the Altar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, adorned with elaborate stuccoes from 1791. The central painting, depicting the Madonna of Mount Carmel between Saints James and Charles Borromeo, was executed by Bissanti, based on an oleographic print, replacing an older painting. The nave concludes with the delicate Altar of the Guardian Angel, a venerated figure in Saracena. This complex work was executed by Eugenio and Carlo Cerchiaro in the early 18th century, while the stone altar table, created by Ciampa, a disciple of Gesùmaria, dates to 1735. On the left shelf rests a 17th-century wooden statue of St. Anthony of Padua (originating, like the statue of St. Vitus in the lower church, from the destroyed Capuchin Convent), while on the right shelf is a papier-mâché statue of St. Roch, crafted by Guacci of Lecce. A nearby display case houses an interesting collection of the church's relics.

THE LOWER CHURCH

Access to the lower church is through a side door. In Calabrian churches, the lower church, or "succorpo," typically functions as a crypt and is often a subterranean space. However, in the case of Santa Maria del Gamio, the succorpo is a vaulted chamber that, due to the steep terrain, is only partially underground. It is reached by a staircase dating back to the late 18th century.

Inside, a fine Renaissance-style stone altar is preserved, featuring pilasters adorned with figures of Saints Paul and Leonard on the left and Saints Peter and Andrew on the right. The frontal panel, between the coats of arms of the ancient Scornavacca family, showcases a beautifully expressive relief of the Dead Christ supported by Angels. In the central niche stands a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, dating to the mid-19th century. This altar was previously dedicated to the Assumption. On the back wall is the highly venerated image of the Crucifix, dating to the early 17th century and likely of Messinese origin. Flanking it are paintings of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, purchased in Naples in 1876, and nearby stands the 18th-century wooden statue of St. Vitus.

Returning to the main church, one crosses the transept area, where to the left of the High Altar is the grand pulpit, shaped like a blossoming chalice, at the base of which lies the burial slab of priests, set into the ancient entrance of the lower church. This small chamber features a series of stone seats lining the walls. The pulpit is the first known work of Gaetano Fusco, founder of a renowned cabinetmaking workshop in Morano between the 18th and 19th centuries. He crafted it between 1751 and 1754, with the collaboration of Francesco la Viola, who sculpted the figure of St. Paul preaching. On the opposite side is the beautifully carved presbyteral chair, integrated into the choir, also by Fusco, consisting of 19 seats behind the altar. This elaborate work was completed between 1760 and 1763 at a cost of 240 ducats. A niche high on the wall houses a fine marble statue of the Virgin under the title of the Nativity, created in 1766 by an unknown Neapolitan sculptor.

References:

• Gianluigi Trombetti, Le chiese di Santa Maria del Gamio e delle Armi in Saracena - Itinerari storico artistico, Edizione "Il Coscile," Castrovillari (Cs), 1993.
• Sac. Leone Boniface, La Chiesa di S. Maria del Gamio in Saracena, Castrovillari, 2000.