Our Lady of Graces (Italian: Madonna delle Grazie or Nostra Signora delle Grazie) or Saint Mary of Graces (Italian: Santa Maria delle Grazie) is a devotion to the Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. Several churches with this dedication often owe their foundation to thankfulness for graces received from the Virgin Mary, and are particularly numerous in Italy, India, Australia, United States, Portugal, France and the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. Also it is related to the Marian apparitions in which was revealed the Miraculous Medal, also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces. Patronage Our Lady of Graces is the patron saint of the diocese of Faenza. According to a legend, in 1412, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a local woman. Mary was holding broken arrows symbolizing protection against God's wrath and promised an end to the plagues. Faenza Cathedral has a chapel dedicated to Our Lady, while residents often place ceramic titles with the image on their homes. Other Italian towns that have Our Lady of Graces as their patron saint include: San Giovanni Rotondo (as co-patroness) Minturno Cautano Decimoputzu Ricadi Sanluri Toritto Cotignac Local tradition holds that in August 1519, Mary appeared to a woodcutter and requested a church be built and dedicated to her as "Our Lady of Graces". The Church of Our Lady of Graces in Contignac was ransacked during the Revolution, but later restored. Churches Italy Acquaviva Platani Alanno, Abruzzo : A renaissance church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, built around 1485 to venerate a miraculous apparition of the Madonna. Alife Anghiari, Tuscany : Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie o della Propositura, built 1628–1740., Anversa degli Abruzzi Arezzo, Tuscany : A late Gothic church built close to the site of a well, which had been associated with Paganism, and had been destroyed at the behest of Saint Bernardino of Siena. Arzignano, Veneto : Sanctuary built after the plague of 1485. Bevagna Brescia, Lombardy : Basilica of Madonna delle Grazie Capua Casale Monferrato Castelfranco di Pietralunga Castiglion Fiorentino Castiglione d'Orcia Cerignola Città di Castello Colle Faggio di Monteleone di Spoleto Cortona Fabro Faenza Farnese, Lazio : Clarissan monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Floridia Foligno Giano dell'Umbria, Umbria : Small medieval country church, restructured in neoclassical style. Grado Gravedona Gravina in Puglia Imperia Lendinara (also called now called San Giuseppe) Livorno Magione Magliano Sabina Maiori Mantua Massa Lubrense Melilli Milan, Lombardy