Festa della Madonna delle Grazie

A Marian devotion spanning centuries

The Festa della Madonna delle Grazie is one of the most deeply rooted events in the spiritual life of Monteprandone, a hilltop village in the Province of Ascoli Piceno, in the southern Marche region. The celebration takes place every year around Ferragosto at the Sanctuary of San Giacomo della Marca, the Franciscan convent complex linked to the saint born in Monteprandone in 1394.

The revered image and its history

The heart of the festival is the precious polychrome terracotta image of the Madonna delle Grazie, depicting the Virgin with Child. According to tradition, the sculpture was a gift to San Giacomo della Marca from Cardinal Francesco della Rovere from Savona, who later became Pope Sixtus IV. The transmitted story recounts that while the saint was defending the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ through Mary, the cardinal saw the image bow as a sign of confirmation: hence the decision to gift it. Since then, the Virgin has been invoked as a source of help, comfort, and hope, and the title "delle Grazie" (of Graces) refers to the numerous graces and miracles attributed to her intercession.

The Sanctuary of San Giacomo della Marca

The convent and the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie were authorized on August 22, 1449, by Pope Nicholas V, at the request of San Giacomo della Marca himself. Today, the sanctuary, located on Via Madonna delle Grazie, houses the saint's remains, a chapel dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie, the cloister, and a museum, and is a destination for Marian pilgrimages from all over the Piceno region and beyond.

How the festival unfolds

The days are marked by religious and community activities:

• Novena of prayer in preparation for the festival, with daily celebrations in the sanctuary
• Solemn Holy Mass presided over by Franciscan friars and local priests
• Procession with the statue of the Madonna delle Grazie, the most anticipated and attended moment
• Presence of local confraternities and civil authorities from the Municipality of Monteprandone
• Moments of gathering and conviviality for the community and pilgrims

An event from the heart of Piceno

More than just a liturgical recurrence, the Festa della Madonna delle Grazie is a piece of Monteprandone's identity, intertwining faith, history, and popular tradition. For visitors to the Marche region in the summer, it's an opportunity to discover an authentic village, its Franciscan sanctuary, and a devotion that has united the local inhabitants for centuries.