The Church of Santa Maria dell’Udienza in Melissa was built shortly after the mid-17th century at the behest of the Prince of Strongoli, Domenico Pignatelli, who took over the fiefdom following the death of Count Francesco Campitelli. The name ‘dell’Udienza’, popularly rendered as ‘ab Audentia’, refers to the tradition associated with its foundation and local devotion.

A hospice and several rooms for the Minor Conventual friars were also built next to the church, making the complex an important religious and charitable centre for the area. By the end of the 18th century, the building was already richly decorated and furnished with numerous sacred objects.

Situated just outside the village walls, yet not far from the settlement, the church soon became a centre of intense devotion, attracting worshippers not only from Melissa but from the entire diocese of Umbriatico and the surrounding areas. Its fame was also linked to the popular belief that it was a place of graces and miracles.

Even today, above the main portal, the coat of arms of the Pignatelli family can be seen – featuring three pots surmounted by a three-pronged rake – a sign of the long-standing bond between the family and the church, over which they held the right of patronage for a long time.