The oldest church in Cernusco is the Sanctuary of S. Maria Addolorata. This place was perhaps the original nucleus of the town. First mentioned in 1191 but dating back to the Lombard era, S. Maria has always been much loved by the people of Cernusco. Nearby was the cemetery, and in the external chapel, which still exists today, there was a fresco considered miraculous, a destination for pilgrimages in the Middle Ages. The grate that opens in the wall allowed it to be seen when the gate was closed. The premises of S. Maria housed the first classrooms, the boys' oratory and, in 1870, the first nativity scene in the village appeared there. Inside, noteworthy features include the stained glass window from 1562, the 17th-century statue of the dead Christ and the 18th-century wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows: according to tradition, the barge that was transporting the statues on the Martesana canal miraculously stopped right in front of S. Maria, and so they were brought inside.