Nestled on the plain that slopes down from Montagano toward the Biferno River, the church of Santa Maria di Faifoli has its roots in the 11th century, as its probable dating suggests. The earliest certain evidence dates from 1260, the date engraved on the entrance portal. Once flanked by a Benedictine monastery from 1134, which has now disappeared, the church experienced a period of oblivion only to be restored and reconsecrated in 1705 by the future Pope Benedict XIII, an event witnessed by plaques and a painting.
After a period of neglect and damage caused by the 1805 earthquake, the church was recovered in 1811 by the nobleman Quintiliano Petrone. Then passed to the Janigro family, it was designated for public use in 1971 and underwent restoration that modified its interior. Purchased by the municipality of Montagano in 1998, further interventions preserved its structure.
The gabled facade features a simple ogival portal, a niche and a semicircular window. The three-aisled interior holds plaques dedicated to Pope Benedict XIII and at the high altar a painting of the Madonna and Child. An original element is the balustrade of the chancel.
Of particular value is the 18th-century wooden statue of the “Madonna of Transhumance,” depicting the Virgin on an oak trunk with angels, a symbol of the link with the pastoral world and the sheep-tracking routes. Known as Madonna Incoronata, it is celebrated on the last Sunday in April with a procession in which the honor of carrying the statue is auctioned off, a tradition in which women often prevail. Santa Maria di Faifoli is a place that tells centuries of history, faith and traditions in the heart of Molise.