Viva Santa Rosalia! Viva Palermo!

Annually on July 15, devotees of Santa Rosalia, the patroness of Palermo, solemnly process her sacred relics through the city. The ritual is held in commemoration of the miracle that she performed in 1624 and 1625 when Sicily’s capital was under siege from a plague that mortally cursed more than 10,000 citizens. It is thanks to a hunter on Mount Pellegrino that her words were heard and honored.

As pictured here on the official Rosalia carriage in Palermo, the virigin saint appeared to him in a dream, explaining where her remains could be found and that they could heal the afflicted once they were paraded around the city. Within three days of the ritual’s performance, residents began to recover. By July 15, 1625, the plague was eradicated. To this day, Palermitani place their faith in the healing powers of La Santuzza, Rosalia.

Save the dates! In July 2022, as a prelude to our Secret Sicily tour, Experience Sicily will host 3 days in Palermo during the Festino of Santa Rosalia. See the full itinerary at https://experiencesicily.com/secret-sicily-july-2022/ for details.