Feast of the Madonna of Gibilmanna in Cefalù

La Feast of Our Lady of Gibilmanna begins with the pilgrims who, barefoot, reach the Sanctuary to pray at the foot of the statue of the Virgin. On the day of the Feast, in addition to the liturgies and the procession, an ancient rite is celebrated, the oil donation by a municipality of the diocese of Cefalù. The offering is an important moment of the event as the oil lamp illuminates the statue of the Virgin throughout the year.

The Feast of Our Lady of Gibilmanna

In the days preceding the Festival, many pilgrims from all the provinces of the island flock barefoot at the shrine to ask for the help of the Virgin or for a grace received. On the day of the Feast there are morning liturgies and in the afternoon the devotees carry the simulacrum of the Madonna in procession among the streets of Cefalu. The procession is made up of the confraternities, the clergy, the civil and military authorities, followed by the musical band and the faithful.
After the procession, a religious celebration takes place in the square in front of the church which ends with a special offering of gifts and oil to the Madonna. The oil in particular is supplied each year by a different municipality of the diocese and is used for the lamp lit at the foot of the statue of the Virgin.

The history of the Feast of Gibilmanna and of the devotion of the faithful

The cult of the Virgin for the population of Gibilmanna begins in the XNUMXth century when the Benedictine fathers venerate a representation of the Madonna painted on the wall of an ancient church which has now disappeared.
The Sanctuary was built around 1619, annexes part of the old building now almost destroyed and welcomes many pilgrims. At first, the faithful celebrate the Virgin on August 15, but from the 8th century the Feast was moved to September 8, as in August the activities in the fields are still very busy. For years the devotees climbed up the paths of the Madonie with the help of mules and the night before 1954 September they gathered at the foot of the Sanctuary to sing hymns and litanies together. In XNUMX Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Madonna of Gibilmanna patroness of Cefalù.

When the event takes place

Since 1970 the Feast of the Madonna di Gibilmanna has taken place every year there first Sunday in September.

Where the Feast of the Madonna di Gibilmanna takes place

The event takes place at the Sanctuary of Gibilmanna dedicated to the Virgin on the Pizzo Sant'Angelo in Gibilmanna, In a district of Cefalù in the province of Palermo.

What to do during the event

During the Festival, Cefalù is filled with faithful and tourists who flock to the city to visit it. The Sanctuary houses various works of art of great interest, including the XNUMXth century altar by Baldassare Pampillonia where the statue of the Madonna is placed.
On both sides of the Church there are two marble statues representing St. John the Baptist by Scipione Casella and St. Helena by Fazio Gagini. Just outside the building tourists can visit the Museum of works of art representative of Franciscan art, an ancient library with texts from the 500th, 600th and 700th centuries and the eighteenth-century catacombs. Half an hour's drive from the Sanctuary is the historic center of Cefalù which preserves traces of the passage of Greeks, Arabs and Normans and therefore is not to be missed. In the heart of the fortress stands the Duomo of the city, decorated with splendid mosaics while not far away there is a medieval wash house still intact which attracts numerous visitors.

How to get to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Gibilmanna to attend the event

By car:, from Palermo take the E90 from via Roma and continue in the direction of the SS113 to Cefalù. Exit at the Cefalù junction and continue for 15km as far as via del Giubileo Magno in Gibilmanna where the Sanctuary is located.
From Messina take the E90 from Rometta and follow the road in the direction of Viadotto Sovrapasso a Pollina. After 130km take the Castelbuono exit and continue along the SS113 up to via del Giubileo Magno.
From Catania, take via Plebiscito and continue for 6,6km in the direction of the A19. Follow the A19 towards Messina and after 153km take the Cefalù exit on the A20. Continue along the SS113 up to via del Giubileo Magno in Gibilmanna.
From Syracuse take the E45 from viale Orsi and follow the road towards the SS113 to Cefalù. After 218km take the Cefalù junction towards the SS113 up to the Sanctuary in via del Giubileo Magno.