Feast of Maria SS. Annunziata

One of the oldest religious festivals in Sicily

The Feast of Maria SS. Annunziata is the most deeply felt tradition in Fiumedinisi, a village perched along the stream of the same name at the foot of the Peloritani Mountains, in the province of Messina (Sicily). Celebrated every year on March 24th and 25th, it is considered one of the most characteristic and ancient religious festivals on the island, drawing pilgrims and devotees from neighboring towns across the Peloritani slopes.

The journey of the devotees

The most evocative moment is the journey of the devotees, which takes place on the evening of March 24th at sunset. Women, fulfilling a vow or offering thanks, depart from the Nativity altar in the church of San Pietro and travel on their knees along Via Umberto I—known to locals as the via della Vara—carrying lit candles to the high altar of the Sanctuary to pay homage to the Virgin. It is a penitential rite of great intensity that opens the solemn First Vespers and the distribution of blessed cotton, which the faithful traditionally place on the bodies of the suffering.

The procession of March 25th

On the day of the feast, March 25th, religious services follow one another, including a solemn mass and a panegyric. In the evening, the solemn procession winds through the village streets, carrying the statues of the Madonna and the Archangel Gabriel, along with the precious reliquary of the Madonna's Hair, one of the most venerated relics in the Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary of Maria SS. Annunziata

The festival revolves around the mother church, which dates back to the 12th century. Expanded and restored several times over the centuries, it was damaged by a siege in 1676 and a fire in 1908. On March 25th, 1976, the church was elevated to a Diocesan Sanctuary, becoming a pilgrimage destination for the entire Messina region.

The Great Feast of the Vara

Linked to this annual festival is an extraordinary event: the Great Feast of the Vara, celebrated every five years on the second Sunday of August. On this occasion, an imposing wooden and iron scenic structure about ten meters long is carried in procession, with performers acting out sacred scenes. The last edition took place in August 2025; the next is expected around 2030.

Tradition and community identity

For Fiumedinisi, the Annunziata Feast is not just a religious appointment but a profound element of collective identity, weaving together popular faith, tradition, and community memory. Devotion to the Virgin has accompanied the village for centuries, and every spring it reunites residents and returning emigrants around their Sanctuary.