Feast of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows – Capo District

A popular festival in the heart of the Capo

The Feast of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows is one of the most heartfelt devotional events in the historic center of Palermo. It takes place in the Capo district, the ancient neighborhood that hosts one of the city's most characteristic markets, and centers around the Church of the Santi Quaranta Martiri alla Guilla, in the province of Palermo, in the heart of Sicily. For over a century, the residents of the district have gathered around their Madonna Addolorata in a celebration that intertwines faith, popular tradition, and neighborhood identity.

The Confraternity and its history

The festival is organized by the Venerable Confraternity of Maria SS. dei Sette Dolori, established in 1885 right in the Capo district. Since then, the confraternity has guarded the devotion to the Addolorata and organizes the festivities every year, keeping alive a tradition passed down from generation to generation among the families of the neighborhood.

The statue of the Addolorata

The simulacrum venerated at the Capo is considered unique in the Palermitan iconography of the Addolorata. The Madonna wears a finely embroidered dress and a precious black velvet mantle, a gift—according to tradition—from Her Majesty Queen Elena of Savoy. Her chest is pierced by seven swords, symbols of the seven Marian sorrows that give the festival its name, in an image of intense emotional power representing the mother suffering for the passion of Christ.

The religious and popular program

The festivities span several days, centered around the third Sunday of September. The spiritual core is the settenario, seven days of preaching and prayer that prepare for the feast. On the Friday evening before the Sunday, the evocative Via Matris Dolorosae takes place, an ancient devotion linked to the Order of the Servants of Mary, featuring the meditation on the sorrows of the Virgin accompanied by a Crucifix carried on shoulders through the streets of the district.

• Settenario: days of preaching and liturgical celebrations in preparation for the feast.
• Via Matris Dolorosae: meditative procession on Friday evening.
• Drums, musicians, and flag-wavers parading through the alleys of the Capo on Saturday afternoon, amidst performances and illuminations.
• Solemn procession of the Addolorata statue on Sunday afternoon, accompanied by a marching band.

The solemn procession

The highlight is the procession on Sunday afternoon: the Addolorata statue travels through the streets of the Capo amidst crowds, illuminations, and the sound of drums, accompanied by the marching band and floral tributes at the neighborhood churches. It is a ritual that involves the entire community and reveals, every September, the most authentic and popular soul of a landmark district of Palermo.

Experiencing the festival in the Capo district

Participating in the Feast of the Seven Sorrows means immersing yourself in the life of the historic Capo market, among the stalls, the aromas of Palermitan street food, and the atmosphere of a neighborhood that dresses up for the occasion. It is an opportunity to discover the truest side of Palermo, where religious devotion and Sicilian popular culture have coexisted for over a hundred years.