The church of St Nicolas is the only building in Poffabro that rises above all the other, a tangible sign of the importance of faith in the community. A simple and linear staircase lifts the white façade of the building, revamped in the 17th century, and makes it look more solemn. The preserved wooden altar dates to the same period. Other fixtures have been lost in the countless restoration works, although the parish church never owned precious items given the prevailing poverty in the area. Nevertheless, the population has always shown its sincere and heartfelt religious devotion both by contributing to purchasing items that could embellish the church and constructing numerous votive capitals scattered along the roads and village fields.

Among the houses of prayer, worthy of note is the sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Health, in Pian delle Merie, not far from the centre of Poffabro.

Construction work started in 1873 in Neoclassical style, as a votive offering by the population that had asked the Virgin Mary for help against the cholera epidemic which was raging in the area. The people of Poffabro recount that the Virgin Mary appeared to a small girl near Lastra hill in the form of a dove.

The dove landed on the girl’s hand and told her that if the villagers constructed a capital in her honour right on that spot, they would be spared from the cholera epidemic. Following this miracle encounter, the people also decided to build a church there. Everybody worked hard, each according to their own skills and strengths, meaning that it took only 13 years to complete, including all of the internal fixtures and the splendid clothes for the wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.

 The religious spirit of the valley has remained alive to the extent that in, recent years, the Monastery of St Mary was erected, where Benedictine Nuns pray and work to make tourist visits to the area enjoyable: from jams, infusions and herbal teas to different gift items.