In the small village of San Biase, perched at 820 meters above sea level in the heart of Molise, the Church of Santa Maria dell’Acquabona stands as a vital spiritual and cultural landmark for a community of fewer than 200 inhabitants. Surrounded by gentle hills, it is a place where faith and tradition remain closely intertwined.
The church features two uneven naves, a façade divided into four sections (the lower made of stone, the upper three of brick), and a graceful pointed-arch stone portal topped by a Gothic window. The three-tiered bell tower on the right bears a memorial to the fallen of World War I, a clock, and a bell cell with a flat roof and decorative arches.
Inside, a triptych of statues represents Christ, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Biase, the town’s patron saint. He is celebrated every February 3rd with the blessing of bread and throats, a traditional rite invoking protection from illness. Yet the deepest devotion is reserved for Saint Pia, the town’s co-patroness, whose relics are displayed in a glass case on the right side of the church.
Three feast days honor her legacy: April 14th, marking the arrival of her relics in San Biase; August 14th, in the Cisterne district, where a chapel was built in her honor; and September 13th, in the main village. These moments of devotion help to strengthen community bonds and keep alive the town’s spiritual heritage.