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The name derives from a tradition according to which a fresco of the Madonna and Child with a star on her forehead was found there. Probably used in pagan times for a fertility deity, it became a Marian shrine in the 16th century. The church, whose original access was from the Rione Piaggio, is presented in a single room with side benches. The church can now be accessed by skirting the ancient city walls and crossing the 18th century Viadotto bridge.
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Viadotto Bridge
It is a double-arched bridge which was erected in 1778 to reach the sanctuary of the Madonna della Stella. It was also used as an aqueduct to supply the city with water. Even today, it connects the two banks of the Gravina stream and is considered as the symbol of the city.
The tradition speaks of an ancient church, rebuilt in its present form at the end of the 15th century. With a single nave, it retains a gilded wooden ceiling with rosettes, surrounded by a gilded wooden women's gallery. Of extraordinary beauty is the funeral mausoleum which houses the mortal remains of Angela Castriota Scanderberg, descendant of the Albanian hero Giorgio Scandenberg and wife of Duke Ferdinando II Orsini. The monument 6.60 m high and 3.20 m wide, carries a double-headed eagle, the coat of arms of Albania, in the middle of each shield. A monastery is annexed to the church of Santa Sofia which housed Poor Clares until the 19th century, when the order was suppressed.
From here you can admire the panorama of part of the historic center but above all the Gravina (canyon) and the bridge. Also, it is very impressive at night with the artistic lighting on the rocks.