According to local tradition, the town of Sorso was the scene of various miracles over the centuries, linked to the figure of the Blessed Virgin. And even today in the territory of this municipality there are places of worship and monuments dedicated to the Madonna “Noli Me Tollere”.
Sorso is located on the hills of Romangia, in northern Sardinia, in an area inhabited since ancient times; the current village originated in Roman times and assumed great importance in the Middle Ages.
The apparition of the Blessed Virgin
The Virgin Mary appeared to the man and invited him to go to the town, to ask the Sorsesi to join Her and come and welcome Her on the beach. The mute, doing what was requested, miraculously began to speak.
But this wasn’t the only miracle! When the Sorsesi went down in procession to find the Virgin Mary they did not see her. However, in the place of the apparition there was a statue of the Madonna and Child, which was recovered and transported to the town centre, to the church of Sorso.
The following day the statue disappeared from the church and was later found near an olive tree, not far from the town. The Sorsesi recovered the statue and brought it back to the church. The episode of the disappearance was repeated in the following days and the statue was found again near the olive tree. This time, at the foot of the statue there was an engraving with the writing “noli me tollere” (Latin for “do not take away from me”).
The Sorsesi interpreted that sign as Mary’s will and decided to found a Sanctuary at that point in which to preserve the simulacrum of the Madonna and Child.
In the following centuries, the church was replaced by a new Sanctuary which was extended with the convent of the Capuchin Friars.
It was precisely to the Capuchin Friars that we owe the transcription of the events and miracles we told you about.
The Sanctuary in Sorso
The church that we can admire today in the northern area of Sorso is of seventeenth-century origin, with a characteristic façade in which black and white stripes of marble alternate. The interior has a simple plan with a single nave, with side chapels.
The statue of the Madonna and Child is still preserved in the altar.
The frescoes on the vaults of the church are more recent, dating back to the twentieth century, and portray some scenes linked to the apparition and subsequent events.
Every year on May 26th in Sorso the anniversary of the apparition is celebrated with a procession in the streets of the center and masses in the Sanctuary.
The chapel in Predugnanu
To the north of the town, along the road that leads to Marina di Sorso, in the Predugnanu area we find a modern statue depicting the Blessed Virgin and Child. A work that makes us understand even more how important the Marian cult is in the local faith.
In this place, according to tradition, during the procession to bring the statue to the town following its discovery, the Madonna left an imprint of her foot in a stone.
Today, here we find a small chapel also dedicated to the Madonna “Noli Me Tollere”, immersed in a scenario of great tranquility. All around we admire the trees and the countryside and, further away, the hills of Romangia and Anglona.
