On the road that runs alongside the Turrite di Gallicano, in the direction of the Grotta del Vento, the white sanctuary dedicated to Santa Maria ad Martyres, known by all as the Hermit, suddenly appears, set in the rock. Located close to an overhang and dug almost entirely into the rock, the sanctuary was built around the year 1000 in the place where the apparition of the Madonna is said. The sacred image, sketched in a statue of willow wood, still existing and object of devotion, is venerated with the name of Madonna della Penna. The month of May is traditionally dedicated to Our Lady and many people go up to the Hermitage on pilgrimage.

The living rock is still visible in the presbytery and in the sacristy, while the primitive church has undergone various phases of expansion and enrichment of the structures and vestments as the fame and veneration of the Madonna della Penna grew, already from the fourteenth century. The double colonnade of the facade was built at the beginning of the eighteenth century and the grotto was enlarged to accommodate the sacristy.