Madonna della Scala Festival

A devotion spanning centuries

The Madonna della Scala Festival is one of the most deeply rooted events in the religious calendar of Castellammare del Golfo, a seaside town in the province of Trapani, Sicily. Every year, on September 8th—the day of the Nativity of the Virgin—the town overlooking the gulf gathers around a tradition that has been renewed uninterruptedly for nearly four centuries, weaving together devotion, legend, and popular culture.

The legend of 1641

According to tradition, on September 7, 1641, a young shepherdess named Maria D'Angelo took shelter from a sudden storm in a cave on Monte Inici. Inside, she discovered a box containing a silver reliquary with an image of the Madonna and Child: the storm ceased instantly, and the event was considered miraculous. From that discovery, the cult of the Madonna della Scala was born, named after the terrain that slopes gently toward the sea. On that site, Benedictine monks built a small sanctuary, now accessible only on foot via a long staircase of 147 steps, at an altitude of about 200 meters on the slopes of the mountain.

Rites and traditions of the festival

The festivities begin in late August with the recitation of the sung rosary and Holy Mass, continuing with the novena that prepares for the solemnity of September 8th. Among the most characteristic moments is the ciacculata, the evening torchlight procession on the eve of the feast that commemorates the shepherdess's search along the town streets up to the sanctuary.

• The procession: on the afternoon of September 8th, the statue of the Madonna travels through the town streets, accompanied by the faithful chanting the rosary in the Castellammare dialect.
• Tagghiarini con le fave: in Piazza Porta Fraginesi, the traditional tasting of tagliatelle with fava beans takes place, a dish linked to the legend of the young women who participated in the first pilgrimage.
• Fireworks: as the statue returns to the mother church, a pyrotechnic display concludes the day of celebration.

Identity and community

More than just a religious anniversary, the Madonna della Scala Festival represents a moment of strong cohesion for the entire community of Castellammare del Golfo. The bond between the mountain sanctuary, the historic center, and the port tells the story of a territory where popular faith, historical memory, and traditional gastronomy merge into one great celebration that attracts locals and visitors from across the province of Trapani.