The miracle of the Virgin Mary

When you arrive from Torrita, you encounter the church of the Grazie before you get to the town of Montepulciano. Before it was built, there was nothing but countryside and a shrine that housed the image of the Virgin Mary, around which the guardians of the sheep, pigs and other animals usually gathered. One evening, these young men, who were playing the hand game “morra”, got so furious that they ended up shouting, threatening one another and swearing. The unluckiest one, after losing a large sum, turned to the Virgin in a profane manner, took a knife from his pocket and repeatedly struck the image. A miracle instantly occurred: blood began to gush from the parts which had been struck, as if living flesh had been wounded. The other young men fled leaving the one who had inflicted the blows unconscious on the ground. The event attracted many faithful citizens and the current building was built with their offerings. The offender was hanged for committing sacrilege.