Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

A rite of faith and memory above the Sagittario Gorges

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is, alongside the celebrations for Saint Dominic the Abbot, one of the most heartfelt spiritual events in Villalago, a small town in the province of L'Aquila perched at an altitude of 930 metres above the spectacular Sagittario Gorges in inland Abruzzo. Listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and overlooking the green Lake of San Domenico, Villalago is part of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park and preserves its religious and folk traditions intact.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Devotion revolves around the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, a small sacred building dating back to 1575, which was once annexed to the Lupi family palace. The sacred image, cherished by the community, departs from and returns to this chapel, carried in procession through the village streets. It is the third and final of the great religious celebrations of the Villalago year, traditionally held at the beginning of September.

A programme marked by faith and tradition

The festival is prepared by a novena and unfolds over several days:

• Children's floral procession: the youngest pay homage to the Virgin with a flower parade towards the small church, preceded by Holy Mass dedicated to the Family.
• Solemn procession: the sacred image of the Madonna is carried on the shoulders of women in mourning attire, accompanied by seven young girls dressed as 'verginelle', wearing black dresses with a sword at their waist, while the band plays a funeral march.
• Evening torchlight procession: this is the most evocative moment. At dusk, with the village lights turned off and the path illuminated only by torches, a long line of faithful accompanies the Madonna back to her chapel.

Music and community

The celebrations are accompanied by musical and convivial moments, with bands from neighbouring towns in the Sagittario Valley and small concerts that enliven the evenings. The festival is an opportunity for the Villalago community, and for the many emigrants who return to the village, to gather around an ancient rite that unites faith, memory, and local identity.

The village of Villalago

Visiting Villalago during the festival means discovering one of the jewels of mountainous Abruzzo: the stone alleys of the historic centre, the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, the Hermitage and Lake of San Domenico, the Sagittario Gorges, and the trails of the National Park. A natural and human context that makes the intimate atmosphere of this Marian celebration even more intense.