Festa della Madonna del Pollino — Salita

The Rite of the Ascent

Every year, on the first Sunday of June, San Severino Lucano experiences one of the highest moments of its religious calendar: the ascent of the statue of the Madonna del Pollino. At dawn, after mass, the procession departs from the Mother Church of the village, carrying the venerated statue to the Sanctuary on Monte Pollino, at an altitude of 1537 metres, in the heart of the Pollino National Park. It is an 18-kilometre uphill walk, through woods and Apennine landscapes, arriving at the sanctuary around sunset.

Bagpipes, 'Cinte', and Tarantellas

The procession is accompanied by bagpipers, accordion players, and tambourine players, creating a soundscape that lasts for hours. Here, the tarantella is not a festive dance but a devotional dance: the music creates an acoustic and choreographic environment that, for many pilgrims, holds the same value as prayer. Women wear the 'cinte' on their heads – heavy and complex compositions of wheat ears and candles, a typical votive form of devotion in Lucania. Along the route, at the 'pisuoli' – masonry structures that serve as rest stops – locals offer refreshments to pilgrims.

The Madonna Stays on the Mountain

From this point, the statue of the Madonna and Child remains at the sanctuary on Pollino throughout the summer, until the second Sunday of September, when the descent will take place. In between, on the first weekend of July, the most important festival is held, attracting thousands of pilgrims from Basilicata and Calabria.

Intangible Heritage

The pilgrimage of the Madonna del Pollino is recognised by the Central Institute for Intangible Heritage among the great festivals and traditions of Italy. For the Municipality of San Severino Lucano, in the Province of Potenza, the June ascent is the quintessential identity rite: a journey of faith, effort, and music that inextricably links the community to its mountain.