Patronal Feast in Mazarin

The patron saint of Mazarin is the Madonna del Mazzaro who is celebrated in a choral way every year, on the third Sunday of the month of September when a Feast is held in his honor.
The image of the Madonna delle Grazie is an icon created in Byzantine style which was found by a shepherd boy on 16 September 1125 in the woods where today the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima del Mazzaro. The discovery was considered prodigious due to the fact that the painting was hidden in a basement where it had been placed, surely to escape to the edict of 726 issued by Leone Isaurico, to take it away from the iconoclasts.

After the discovery, the icon was put on display to allow people to venerate the sacred image, inside a chapel built by the Marquis Henry. It was later moved to the temple by a count at the time of King William.

At the end of the XNUMXth century the temple was seriously damaged due to an earthquake but was rebuilt again where it was previously. Sanctuary in the mid-eighteenth century based on a project by Bonaiuto of Syracuse and promised by the people during the drought of 1739. The Sanctuary was consecrated at the end of the 1900th century by the then bishop of the diocese while the coronation of the sacred image took place in XNUMX.

Our Lady of Grace, commonly called Our Lady of Mazzaro, it is also a destination for pilgrimages that see thousands of devotees, imploring a grace.

When and where the Patronal Festival takes place in Mazzarino

For about thirteen centuries the patron saint of Mazarin has been venerated on the third Sunday of September. Starting from 1874, the ritual of carrying the statue depicting the Madonna del Mazzaro in procession began, which is constantly enriched with votive offerings and jewels that the faithful who have received a grace leave as thanks.

Jewelry and objects that will be placed on the neck and arms of the statue of the Virgin and those of Jesus and the angels.

It must be said that the event is preceded by a novena recited by the faithful as a preparation for the feast which will see, on the third Sunday of the month, the arrival of the faithful throughout the day who go to the Sanctuary to attend the celebrations.

In the evening, at the end of the religious functions, the procession of the statue of the Madonna takes place which crosses all of Mazzarino, loaded on the shoulders of the members of the Confraternity. Instead, before the evening mass, the Procession of the Madonna dumannaredda. It is an ancient tradition that dates back to over a century ago, when both widows and mourning families did not leave the house and then it was the statue of the Madonna that passed under the houses of the people who paid homage to the procession with gifts received by nature or thanks to work.

What to do during the Patronal Festival in Mazzarino

As with parties of this type, if you go specifically to attend the event, the only thing to do is to assume an informal attitude and let yourself be taken by the atmosphere that magically envelops every place.

The procession sees the statue of the Madonna del Mazzaro being carried by hand by a group of faithful wearing a light blue jacket in homage to the Virgin Mary, who lead it through the streets of the historic center of Mazarin.
In fact, in order not to run the risk of irreparably damaging the wooden icon made up of five panels sewn one on top of the other depicting both the Madonna delle Grazie and two Sicilian martyrs, Lucia and Agata, it was decided to transport the statue which, since 1874, it is used for the procession.

The wooden statue, from the Palermo school, depicts the Seated Madonna holding baby Jesus on his knees and, on the sides, two angels are positioned. Each character depicted is adorned with necklaces, bracelets, rings and other precious jewels that have been donated to the Madonna del Mazzaro as thanks for a grace received.

The final part of the celebration is also very scenic, when the statue returns to the Sanctuary enriched with lights that break up the darkness of the late evening, amidst the applause of the faithful and the fireworks display that greets the end of the Festival.

How to get to Mazzarino to attend the Feast of the patron saint Maria Santissima del Mazzaro

Mazzarino is located in the central western part of Sicily in the province of Caltanissetta. It is 153 kilometers from Palermo and to get to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Mazzaro you need to take the E90, the A19 and the E932.

For those arriving from Catania, 110 kilometers away, the route to follow is the SS417.

The Sanctuary is located in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 278 and once you arrive in Mazzarino it is sufficient to follow the signs that indicate it to reach your destination comfortably.