Madonna dell'Incoronata Sanctuary Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage in the heart of the Tavoliere

The Pilgrimage to the Madonna dell'Incoronata Sanctuary is one of the most deeply rooted religious traditions of the Ascoli Satriano community in the Province of Foggia. Every year at the end of April, groups of the faithful leave the small town in the Daunian Mountains and set off on foot along the roads of the Tavoliere delle Puglie to reach the Mother of God Incoronata Sanctuary, which stands in the Incoronata Woods, in the lower Cervaro valley south of Foggia. It is an act of popular devotion that combines prayer, physical effort, and fellowship, renewing a centuries-old bond between the Daunian town and one of Puglia's most beloved Marian sites.

The legend of the apparition

Devotion to the Incoronata has its roots in an event that tradition dates back to April 1001. According to the story, a Count of Ariano and a shepherd nicknamed Strazzacappa saw a statue of the Virgin and Child among the branches of a large oak tree in the woods along the Cervaro. From a rotating light, angels descended as if in a cavalcade to crown the image—hence the name Madonna Incoronata (Crowned Madonna), venerated as a Black Madonna. A first chapel was built on the site of the apparition, later expanded into the large sanctuary complex now run by the religious of the Don Orione congregation.

The Cavalcade of the Angels

The most evocative moment of the spring celebrations is the Cavalcade of the Angels, which commemorates the angelic triumph on the night of the apparition. Horses adorned with drapes, feathers, and bells parade in a long procession alongside hundreds of children dressed as angels, saints, and little friars, circling the sanctuary three times amidst tens of thousands of the faithful. For the pilgrims from Ascoli Satriano, their arrival at the sanctuary coincides with these festive days, marking the spiritual and emotional climax of their entire journey.

The 2026 edition and the Jubilee Year

The 2026 edition of the pilgrimage took place on April 24th and 25th and was marked by an extraordinary event: the Jubilee Year for the 1025th anniversary of the Incoronata, with the granting of a plenary indulgence to pilgrims visiting the sanctuary from April 25, 2026, to April 24, 2027. The celebrations, dedicated to the theme «Mary, Mother of Christ, our joy», featured the Cavalcade of the Angels, solemn liturgies presided over by the bishops of the Capitanata, and the participation of thousands of devotees, including those who walked from Ascoli Satriano and many other towns in the Tavoliere.

Ascoli Satriano and devotion to the Incoronata

For the Municipality of Ascoli Satriano, the pilgrimage to the Incoronata is much more than just a date on the calendar: it is an identity-defining rite that intertwines Marian faith with the culture of transhumance and shepherding that has defined the Tavoliere and the Daunian Mountains for centuries. Participants experience an authentic side of devout, rural Puglia, filled with songs, stops along the way, and mutual hospitality, set against a landscape of fields and farmhouses leading to the sacred Incoronata woods.