Alessandria della Rocca – last weekend of August
Feast of Our Lady of the Rock
It is the patron saint’s feast of the town and is greatly felt by the Alexandrians, who, in large numbers and many even barefoot, make pilgrimages to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Rocca, which is located on the outskirts of the town and which, in one of its frescoes, “tells” the story of the miraculous finding of the small statue of the Madonna, probably hidden in the countryside to protect it from the Saracens.
The festivities begin on the Friday before the last Sunday in August, when the simulacrum of Mary is brought from the shrine to Alexandria. Here, in procession and accompanied by a multitude of faithful, the statue arrives at the Mother Church, where it will remain until the first Sunday in October. On the occasion of the patron saint’s day, there is a packed calendar of various performances and events.
These include the traditional village fair in Largo Pietà. Lulled by the notes of the brass band and under the crackling rain of fireworks, The Feast of Our Lady of the Rock is a unique opportunity to savor the most genuine atmosphere of the Sicilian province.
