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Tradition and folklore

SOn this "Sacred Mountain", the religious feeling permeates every places. Majella doesn’t splits, but it joins and feeds on.
Majella hosted, for a very long period, peculiar systems of life mainly connected with the sheep farming and agriculture. The folk holidays of Park municipalities are important evidences of a forest, rural and pastoral culture: the omen of a good crop, the concern for the natural strength and the need to defeat the Evil.

Moreover, jointly with the joyful atmosphere of the holiday, there are also the rites and practices strongly connected with an archaic religiousness: the holidays calendar beat the time of Communities life.

The most well-known events are: the Living Crib of Rivisondoli, the holiday of S. Antonio Abate, the “panicelle” of San Biagio in Taranta Peligna, the religious procession of Good Friday and the Running Virgin in Sulmona; the holiday of S. Domenico in Pretoro, the “ndorce” of fara San Martino and Madonna della Libera in Pratola Peligna; parade of “Verginelle” in Pretoro, “Corsa degli Zingari” (Gipsy Race) in Pacentro and the holiday of “festa dei cornuti” (Cuckold Day) in San Valentino.

Highlights

The Living Crib takes place each 5th of January in Rivisondoli, a striking natural landscape most of the times covered by snow. This event has a great touristic appeal and, for the role of Virgin Mary, it takes place a wide selection of young girls.

Several Park Municipalities, each 17th of January celebrate S. Antonio Abate: He is Patron Saint of animals and, in the past, the farmers addressed their prayers to Him in order to get well from the herpes zoster, the so-called “fuoco di S. Antonio” (S.Antonio’s Fire). Different performances take place in various locations: parades of caparisoned animals, walk-ons and masks, animals blessing, religious processions.

The town of Taranta Peligna celebrates San Biagio each 3rd of Februay with the distribution of “panicelle” small loaves that look like four fingers: they have imprinted the mark of S. Biagio, the Faithfuls eat them to protect themselves from the sore throat.

Every towns remember the Christ’s Death with a religious procession that takes place in the Good Friday. In Sulmona this Holy Representation is organized by the Fraternal Order of Trinity and it begins with the darkening from the Church of Trinity, supported by the Chant of “Miserere” and by the symbols of Passion. The Brothers wear the red sackcloth of Fellowship. A first group of Brothers brings the statues of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary until the Church of Santa Maria della Tomba and there the Brothers of Madonna di Loreto take the statues to return in Church.

The Easter-day, always in Sulmona, it takes place the Sacred Representation of “Madonna che scappa (Running Virgin Mary). After the Mass, a procession of Fraternal Order of Santa Maria di Loreto starts from the Medioeval Church of S. Maria della Tomba: they wear the typical “mozzetta” of green silk on white dress-shirt. The Brothers bring the statues of Risen Christ, San Giovanni and San Pietro. Close to the medioeval aqueduct the procession stops and the statue of Christ stands under a red canopy. In the meantime the statues of S. Giovanni and S. Pietro corss the square and make for the Church of S. Filippo. In front of the portal the Apostles knock on the door to give Mary the notice of Her Son’s Resurrection. At third attempt the statue of Virgin comes out from the Church and begins a frenetic run towards the Risen Christ. During the run the black mantle falls and the Virgin Mary appears dressed with a beautiful gold-filigree green mantle. In Her right hand disappears the white handkerchief that is replaced by a red rose.

The Faithfuls believe that the way in which the Mantle can forecast the future about the crops.

The first sunday of May, in Pretoro takes place the holiday of S. Domenico Abate (Abbot). After a religious procession in which the statue is covered by, begins a representation about His miracle. The protagonists are men, according to an ancient theatrical tradition, and performs a situation in which a wolf kidnapped the son of a woodcutters family. The spouses address their prayers to S. Domenico and the wolf gives back the child.

The first sunday of May in Fara S. Martino it takes place the ancient propitiatory rite of “ndorce” (torches) in which the village addresses its prayers to San Martino Anchoret in order to make rain during this month, important for the harvest. The Pilgrimage starts from Atessa and, in Fara San Martino, the pilgrims come down to the Green River Springs leaving, in the Church of San Pietro, two wax torches and two sheaves of spikes. Then the pilgrims reach the ruins of ancient Benedectine Abbey of S. Martino. On the way back certains kneel down and collect small stones which they will throw on fields for propitiatory purpose.

The first sunday of May in Pratola Peligna it takes place the holiday of “Madonna della Libera”. According to a legend, the fresco portraying the Virgin Mary, preserved in the Santuary, was discovered in 1456 during a pestilence by a farmer who thought to saw Her: She wanted to give him the notice of the end of plague.
In Rapino, each 8th of May, it takes place the religious procession of “verginelle”. This event is rich in symbolic elements connected with ancient agricultural rites for the productiveness of soil. The protagonists are the “verginelle”: little girls between 6 and 10 years who are symbolically offered to the “Madonna di Carpineto”.
The first sunday of September it takes place the “corsa degli zingari” (The Gipsy Race) of Madonna di Loreto in Pacentro. The participants are called in this way because they have to run barefoot. The youngs come downhill from “Colle Ardingo” until Vella river and the they rise again in Pacentro standing in front of the altar in the Church of Madonna di Loreto.

This run represents the passage from the puberal age to the grown-up one.

The 10th of September in San Valentino it takes place the “festa dei cornuti” (Cuckolds Day). The last married man in that year begins a procession that crosses the town among dins and hints. The procession passes through the streets showing the “Relics”: bovine horns and phallic symbols.