Procession of the Assumption in Acquedolci

La procession of the Assumption in Acquedolci is linked to the history of the Di Paci family who for years has guarded the Wax statue of the Sleeping Virgin and shares the simulacrum with the community only on the occasion of the procession. Since the last century the statue has been kept in the Mother Church of the town and every year the faithful renew their devotion to the Madonna with a procession through the streets of Acquedolci.

Description of the Procession of the Assumption in Acquedolci

The faithful gather at the Parish of San Benedetto il Moro for the evening mass and at the end of the religious function they prepare to carry the simulacrum of the Sleeping Virgin in procession through the streets of the town. The wax work is very delicate and cannot stand high temperatures, therefore the procession parades in the evening and the statue is kept in a polycarbonate case throughout the year which protects it from thermal alterations.

The procession of the Assumption starts from the Mother Church and goes around the historic center before returning to the church where it is housed in a white marble altar with Corinthian capitals and green marble columns. During the procession, the faithful cannot touch the statue because this practice has seriously damaged it in the past and made major restoration work essential. In fact, the experts reattached some fallen fingers to the hand and removed more recent layers of wax applied to reconstruct parts compromised by the heat and the continuous touching of the faithful.

The history of Acquedolci and the procession of the Assumption

Acquedolci is a recently established town, in fact the village was originally a hamlet of San Fratello, a hilltop town from the Norman era. In 1922, however, a landslide hit San Fratello and a large part of the population moved to the hamlet of Marina di Acquedolci. The hamlet obtained its own municipal autonomy on 28 November 1969 thanks to the support of Don Antonino Di Paci, the parish priest of Acquedolci.

Don Antonino keeps an important masterpiece in his house that the people call "The Queen". It is a wax statue of the Sleeping Madonna, a work by an unknown author which can be dated between the end of the XNUMXth century and the beginning of the XNUMXth.
The Virgin has a silk dress and sandals with gold and silver foil and her arms are extended along her body. The wax reproduces the colors of the skin of a recently deceased human being, while the open eyelids allow you to glimpse the eyes. The Di Paci family has the tradition of having the statue carried in procession by the women of the village who, after a short tour, bring it back to the house where it is jealously guarded. In 1969 Don Antonino, the last descendant of the family, decided to donate the simulacrum of the Sleeping Virgin to the Parish of San Benedetto il Moro, the Mother Church of the town. Since then the procession is no longer a family initiative, but the symbol of a collective devotion that involves the whole community.

When the procession of the Assumption takes place in Acquedolci

The procession of the Assumption is held on August 15th when Mary's Assumption into heaven is celebrated.

Where the procession of the Assumption takes place

The procession begins in the Mother Church of Acquedolci and winds through the streets of the center before returning to the church.

What to do during the procession of the Assumption in Acquedolci and the surrounding areas

The procession of the Assumption attracts numerous tourists who can visit the beauties of Acquedolci. Inside the Parish of San Benedetto il Moro where the Sleeping Virgin is kept you can also admire an eighteenth-century wooden crucifix attributed to the sculptor Ignazio Morabitti. In Piazza Giovanni Paolo II there is theAntiquarium of Acquedolci which houses the fossil remains found in cave of San Teodoro on the slopes of Pizzo Castellaro south of the town. The paleontological site inhabited by men between 12 thousand and 8 thousand years BC testifies to the first Sicilian Paleolithic burials. The museum houses the fossils of Thea, a woman who lived in Sicily about 20 thousand years ago.

How to get to Acquedolci to watch the procession of the Assumption

To reach Acquedolci those who travel by car from Messina take the A20 motorway from Via Boccetta towards Palermo. Exit at the Sant'Agata di Militello junction and continue on the SS113 for approximately 4 km. At the entrance to the town, follow the signs for Piazza Libertà where the Mother Church is located.