Madonna del Soccorso Summer Festival

The summer feast of the Patron Saint of Sciacca

The Madonna del Soccorso Festival is the beating heart of religious and public life in Sciacca, a seaside town in the province of Agrigento, Sicily. The local community honors its Patron Saint twice a year: in winter on February 2nd, and in summer on August 15th, the day of the Assumption of Mary. The summer celebration is the most deeply felt and widely attended, drawing back many emigrants from Sciacca and numerous visitors who flock to this part of the Agrigento coast in August.

Origins and the miracle of 1626

Devotion to the Madonna del Soccorso is rooted in the precious marble statue, an early 16th-century work attributed to sculptors Giuliano Mancino and Bartolomeo Berrettaro, kept in the Basilica-Cathedral (the Duomo) of Sciacca. According to tradition, during a procession in 1626, while the plague was ravaging the city, lightning struck from a clear sky and a cloud of white smoke emerged from the statue: from that miracle, the city was freed from the contagion and the Madonna was proclaimed Patron Saint of Sciacca. It is to that event that the famous "fumata" (smoke ritual) is linked, still reenacted today along Via Licata.

The festival program

The summer festivities begin on the last Saturday of July, with the solemn placement of the statue of Maria SS. del Soccorso in the Basilica's presbytery, a task traditionally entrusted to the sailors. This is followed by about two weeks of preparation, including morning and evening liturgical celebrations, moments of prayer, and popular devotional initiatives, leading up to the climax on August 15th.

• Dressing of the statue in the late afternoon of August 15th
• Solemn evening procession through the streets of the historic center
• The "fumata" ritual along Via Licata, commemorating the miracle of 1626
• Fireworks and public celebrations to close the day

The sailors' procession

The most emotional moment is the evening procession on August 15th: the ancient 17th-century float, adorned with gold, silver, and coral donated by the faithful, is carried on the shoulders of about a hundred bearers chosen from the sailors and fishermen of Sciacca, often barefoot. The "run" of the float through the crowd, along a route that moves from the Cathedral and crosses the historic districts to Porta Palermo, is a ritual of great intensity that unites the sacred and the maritime identity of one of Sicily's most important fishing communities.

The 4th Centenary (1626-2026)

The 2026 edition is particularly significant: it marks the Fourth Centenary of the Patronage of the Madonna del Soccorso over the city (1626-2026). For the occasion, the Municipality of Sciacca and the diocesan community have planned an entire jubilee year of celebrations, cultural events, and performances, extending well beyond the single day of August 15th.