Feast of the patron saint Santa Maria in Valverde

The feast of the Patroness Santa Maria in Valverde is an unmissable event that history has handed down, as tradition has it, since the birth of Christianity in this area.
With well- 101 cannon shots exploded from the Enna plateau in the early morning, the festival of the Patroness Santa Maria is inaugurated and is honored at the end of August since this festival has its roots in the cult of Ceres and, consequently, at the end of the wheat harvest.

Compared to the past when the fercolo with the Patroness was carried on the shoulders after the morning Pontifical by friars dressed in the traditional white coat e green handkerchief collapsed, nowadays he is no longer brought to the Mother Church at 12.

La procession which starts from Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Valverde in the direction of the Cathedral for the Solemn Mass and then to the church of S. Tommaso, which takes place in the afternoon. Together with the fercolo they are carried in procession through the streets of the town, the Golden Ship of the Madonna of Valverde and the fercoli of San Michele Arcangelo and San Giuseppe together with the symbol of the Trinity. A festive procession of inhabitants and faithful from other places in Sicily accompany the procession which sees the participation of virgins dressed in white, the city band, the authorities and the clergy.

After having traveled through the city center, the procession ends and the celebration concludes with the explosion of fireworks accompanied by music and street games.

The linked history of the festival

La Legend of the sanctuary of Santa Maria a Valverde narrates that the Virgin appeared to a cruel bandit who, after the appearance of the Madonna, found the strength to convert. This happened in a dark era for Sicily which saw the dispute of wars between the then Arab rulers and the Byzantines intent on reconquering territories they had lost and with the Normans who, in the end, triumphed. In this scenario of wars, expropriations, destruction, murders and every possible cruelty, the brigand Dionysius during a robbery he was struck by repentance, stopping attacking his victim and asking her for forgiveness. It was then that the Madonna appeared inviting him to confess and go to the Valverde hill where the church dedicated to her would be built.

When the feast of the Patroness Santa Maria takes place

During the week preceding the last Sunday of August the wooden simulacrum of the Virgin Mary, consisting of a large curtained door and decorated, it is displayed after being revealed to the faithful.

The statue dates back to the XNUMXth century and was the work of the sculptor Giovanni Gallina da Enna. It shows the Madonna, adorned with silver and with a crown on her head, holding the Child in her arms. The statue is covered with a precious silk cloak made in the mid-nineteenth century and embellished with brilliant and colorful jewels.

The feast of the Patroness Santa Maria in Valverde is celebrated onlast Sunday of August even though preparations have been underway since the beginning of the month, the most significant of which, dating back to the end of the eighteenth century, is that of begging to make the celebration even richer. Once upon a time, this form of donation, represented a sort of thanks for the wheat harvest achieved and depending on the progress, the notables increased or decreased their offerings.

Today this ritual is maintained thanks to the commitment of prosecutors who for three days, accompanied by mules caparisoned with characteristic harnesses, beat the streets of the center together with bagpipe players to receive offerings from the citizens.

Where the party takes place

The procession, after the Solemn Mass, travels along Via Roma, Piazza S. Francesco reaching Piazza Matteotti. It then continues along Via Roma, reaching Piazza San Tommaso and from here it returns to the Sanctuary of Valverde.

What to do during the party

In Enna it is suggested to visit the Archaeological Museum of Palazzo Varisano, an eighteenth-century building that houses a large collection of objects from the prehistoric, classical and medieval eras.

Also interesting is the Alessi Museum which contains many goldsmith objects made from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century such as bracelets, necklaces, pendants, precious stones etc.
Do not miss the visit of Pollicarini Palace, a fortified Gothic-style residence characterized by a beautiful Baroque-style portal.

Weather permitting, nearby Aidone can also be very interesting due to the remains of the fourteenth-century San Filippo D'Argirò Castle and the remains of Aidone Castle, dating back to the year one thousand.

How to get to Valverde

Valverde is a town in the province of Catania which can be easily reached from any point in Sicily.
Those coming from Messina, for example, will have to choose the A18 motorway while those coming from Palermo will have to prefer the A19 instead. For both roads, then, the next step is that of the RA15 with the Catania Centro or Paese Etnei exit to reach your destination.

From Catania there is also a local bus service that has a good daily frequency: the company that guarantees the connection is ATS and there is a stop right in Valverde.

The town does not have its own train station, so those who prefer this means of transport will have to refer to Acireale and from there continue by bus to their destination.