Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi - 'Ndrangheta Sanctuary

'Ndrangheta Sanctuary

The chiefs of the Calabrian criminal consortium, the 'Ndrangheta, have held annual meetings, called crimini, at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi. Already in 1903, the Carabinieri captain Giuseppe Petella reported meetings between several criminal societies at the shrine. According to the pentito Cesare Polifroni – a former member turned state witness – at these meetings, every boss “must give account of all the activities carried out during the year and of all the most important facts taking place in his territory such as kidnappings, homicides, etc.” The capo crimine, who is elected every year, is in charge of convening these meetings, but, far from being “the boss of the bosses”, actually has comparatively little authority to interfere in family feuds or to control the level of inter-family violence.

In 1969 the police raided a meeting, the so-called Montalto summit, near the Sanctuary and captured more than 70 'ndranghetisti, while others managed to escape. The importance of the meeting for the unity of the whole 'Ndrangheta was underestimated for a long time. Bosses from outside Calabria, from as far as Canada and Australia, regularly attend the fall meetings at the Sanctuary of Polsi, an indication that the 'ndrine around the world perceive themselves as being part of the same collective entity.

In 2007, fewer people attended the religious festival due to fears and tensions resulting from the San Luca feud between two rival 'Ndrangheta clans from San Luca.