The patroness of Castelvetere sul Calore is Our Lady of Graces (Madonna delle Grazie), celebrated on 28 April and 2 July; the diocesan sanctuary dedicated to her, raised to that rank in 1992, is the town's most visited monument and grew out of the «tempietto del miracolo» (little temple of the miracle), built, according to tradition, after the Madonna appeared to an old woman before the year 1000.
The celebration of 28 April consists of the procession of the spunziatrici (literally «dispensers»): girls of about eight, dressed in white and adorned with gold jewellery in imitation of the statue of the Madonna, accompanied by a knight and a godmother; after the procession they take the tortani, the Madonna's bread, to every house, and the feast requires about forty-five thousand loaves to be prepared. On 29 April the distribution continues through the countryside, on a walk of about six hours.
