Tag: Santa Rosalia
-
Santa Rosalia Purifies the Evils
“Il festivo,” which takes place on the evening of July 14, is a big street party that unifies Palermo’s citizens through a procession that symbolically purifies the city from the evils that have long afflicted it. For this annual celebration, each year Palermo commissions a new statue to represent its patron saint, Santa Rosalia. Like…
-
Rosalia’s Cave
Palermo’s patron, Santa Rosalia, is recognized on September 4, the day she died in 1166, with a pilgrimage to her sanctuary at the top of Palermo’s Mount Pellegrino. Pictured is the sanctuary’s chapel that is housed inside the cave where a hunter in 1624 had a vision of the little-known, medieval-era saint. In the vision,…
-
Healing Bones
“Viva Palermo e viva Santa Rosalia!” July 14 and 15 marks the Feast of Santa Rosalia in Palermo. Last night was Il Festino, an event that I’ve blogged about in the past. Different from the revelry of Il Festino, on the 15th, citizens practice a solemn tradition: the clergy parade the saint’s bones through the city…
-
At the Shrine of Santa Rosalia
My cousin Mario, my grandmother, my father, and my cousin Pino in 1950 at the Shrine to Santa Rosalia on Monte Pellegrino in Palermo.
-
A Pilgrimage for Santa Rosalia
Palermo’s patron saint Santa Rosalia is recognized again on September 4, the day she died in 1166, with a pilgrimage to her sanctuary on Palermo’s Montepellegrino.
-
“Viva Palermo e Viva Santa Rosalia!”
The main event of the Feast of Santa Rosalia is “il festino” on July 14. Il festino is a mix of folklore, religion, street food, socializing, and modern events such as art exhibitions and concerts. The city of Palermo swings into holiday mode, and after lunch, the Center’s streets are designated for foot traffic only.…
-
Santa Rosalia before 1624
Before 1624, Santa Rosalia (1130-1166) was a little-known, medieval-era saint. Her story is often compared to Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) because she too was the daughter of a Norman nobleman, who rejected a life of privilege and instead sought a life devoted to prayer and solitude. During her lifetime, Palermo and Sicily experienced an…
-
Babbaluce Sounds Like a Song, But It’s…
“Babbaluce Belle Pronte” is music to the ears of revelers of the Feast of Santa Rosalia. (Beautiful and Ready to Eat Snails!) For Il Festino, which takes place annually on July 14 and 15, enjoying steamed snails tossed with garlic, olive oil, and fresh Italian parsley is a must.