Chiesa Vecchia di Quattropani

The Church of Santa Maria della Catena, commonly called Chiesa Vecchia, is a rural sanctuary in Quattropani on the island of Lipari.

Why it matters

The sanctuary is a historic devotional landmark in Quattropani and reflects the rural religious life of Lipari's western side. Its formal dedication is to Santa Maria della Catena, while the local name Chiesa Vecchia preserves its place in the landscape's memory.

What to notice

The simple whitewashed church has a single nave and a small dome. Inside, an altar holds an eighteenth-century painting of the Madonna and Child and a wooden statue of the same devotion. A crypt beneath the church once served as a cemetery.

Context and history

The present church is dated to 1588 and was enlarged in 1646. It replaced an earlier Marian place of worship associated with the locality. The church was formally elevated to sanctuary status in 1969 and restored in 2005.