Religion or Superstition?

We've recently been on holiday in Italy, and as we walked around the villages surrounding our hotel I was interested to see how many houses had images of Jesus or the Madonna and child inset in their front wall or nearby.
Now I know that Italy is a predominently Catholic country (which is to be expected!) but I did not see that many actually attending church on Sunday, so I wonder if these 'shrines' or whatever you would call them are in fact of deep religious significance, or more to do with superstition - the inclusion of one as a hope for good fortune.
Am I being unkind? I hope so, but in an increasingly secular society I fear not, which is a shame.

I came back with a collection of photos of these shrines, small and large. To me they are of some cultural significance, but they also remind us of a Christian heritage that survives in one form or another!