I grew up in a small town in Southern Italy called Palermiti, in the province of Catanzaro, in Calabria. If you were to look at a map, you likely would never find it. The permanent population of Palermiti is probably no more than 1,000 residents. Many residents, my family and myself included, have migrated to other parts of the world for better opportunities. Only a few permanently still live there at this time.

Although the permanent residents are few, it’s during the month of August that the population doubles, perhaps even triples in size.  No matter the distance, be it Milan, Rome, Switzerland, or the U.S., and whether you have to get there by plane, train, or automobile, we are all called to return to Palermiti in August to reunite with family and friends, and to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of the South. And to also relish in the delicious cuisine. But one other reason, perhaps the main reason we all flock back to Palermiti in August, is to witness the majestic feast of La Madonna Della Luce once again.

Small Town, Big Celebration

​Whenever any ex-pat travels back to Palermiti, the first question you will get from the locals is, “You’re staying for the feast, right?” To visit Palermiti in the summer and not stay for the feast is most frowned upon by the locals. A sin, to say the least, and a sure sign of disrespect! Celebrated the last Sunday in August, and again the first Sunday in September, the feast of La Madonna Della Luce, or Madonna of the Light, is undoubtedly the town’s favorite and most famous day of the year. The feast’s duration is three days long and includes a street fair, a band, a pop musical concert, fireworks, and, of course, a Mass and procession on Sunday.  The Madonna is the town’s confidant, the most trusted source for all that ails us, be it body, mind or spirit troubles.

Murorotto

​Stories and tales reign supreme in small-town Italy, and the story of how the Madonna of the Light came to Palermiti is no exception. The year was 1720, the day like any other. Until it wasn’t. 

Field workers had just ended their day in the fields and were headed back home. They walked past an abandoned worksite named Murorotto (meaning broken wall) when, among the rubbles of discarded construction equipment, they suddenly noted an immense burst of light coming from the area. Upon closer examination, they found a beautiful, rather large, fresco painting surrounded by thick bricks and cement. The painting was of a beautiful Madonna and child. Adorned in celestial blue, she held baby Jesus in her left hand and a bright candle in her right hand. From the candle came the light they had noted. How could that be?

The Miracle of the Light

​Word soon spread, as it still tends to do in these small towns, and people from nearby towns all immediately gathered to witness this miraculous scene for themselves. Some claiming miracles occurring right on the spot. Many construction workers from local towns came to remove the painting from the wall and bring it to a more dignified location, but despite their strength in trying, they could not move it. That is until a certain Mr. De Marco, from the town of Palermiti, came to visit the Modonna. With much ease and a gentle tug, he could remove the painting from its improper location. But the question remained: where should it be moved? Everyone who witnessed this miracle claimed the newly named Madonna of the Light as their own.

Since they could not come to a conclusion, they decided that the painting should be placed on an unguided oxen cart. The oxen were free to go where they pleased without direction from anyone. The town where the oxen were to stop could claim the Madonna of the Light as their own. It seemed to be a fair method under the circumstances.

The Journey to Her New Home

​The oxen started their journey with the painting securely placed on the cart. Their slow voyage took several hours, and they crossed several towns. It wasn’t until they arrived in front of an old church in Palermiti that the oxen stopped, kneeling, in fact. Were they exhausted from their journey under the scorching summer sun? Not so, we like to believe they had plenty of opportunity to stop beforehand. Rather, the Madonna Della Luce had selected her new home, Palermiti.  It was an honor for the Palermitesi to have the Madonna of the Light select their town as her home. That same honor is still felt today, some 300 years later.

Celebration and Devotion

​The Madonna of the Light is as significant today as ever. Every five years, a special celebration takes place. A replica of the painting is once again taken to Murorotto.  The trip to Murorotto is completed by car these days, but the return trip to her home in Palermiti is always done the way it was in 1720. Followed by a large statue of the Madonna, and thousands of pilgrims, the painting replica is securely situated on an oxen cart and makes its way back to Palermiti. The pilgrimage takes hours under the August sun, many walking barefoot to demonstrate their devotion or in gratitude for a favor granted by the Holy Mother. 

The Madonna Della Luce remains Palermiti’s main pride. The feast is known throughout Calabria, and the small town of nearly 1,000 swells by the thousands the weekend of the feast as locals and non-locals come to enjoy the festivities, fireworks, music, and most of all, to pay homage and gratitude to the beloved Madonna Della Luce.

Conclusion

We all need something to cling on to, and for the Palermitesi, it’s always been the Blessed Madonna della Luce. Whether in times of need, in times of thankfulness, it’s traditions such as these that has us all returning year after year.