Madonna delle Grazie Festival (Presa)

A patronal feast at the foot of Mount Etna

The Madonna delle Grazie Festival is the most anticipated religious and popular event of the year for Presa, a village in the municipality of Piedimonte Etneo, in the province of Catania (Sicily). Nestled on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna, amidst vineyards and ancient lava terraces, the community of Presa gathers around its patron saint, Maria Santissima delle Grazie, on the second Sunday of August, with a heartfelt participation of locals and visitors alike.

The church and the devotion

The cult centers on the Church of Maria Santissima delle Grazie, built in 1846 as a small rural chapel and expanded in 1873 with two neoclassical side wings, modeled after the Mother Church of Piedimonte Etneo. Elevated to an autonomous parish in 1922, it houses the wooden statue of the Madonna, a fine 19th-century work adorned with gold votive offerings, a testament to popular devotion.

The festival rites

Festivities begin on the first Sunday of August and culminate the following Sunday. On the afternoon of the feast day, the entire community gathers in the church to witness the descent of the statue from the high altar. Placed on its processional float, the Madonna is carried out of the church amidst fireworks, the festive ringing of bells, and a shower of multicolored paper. During a stop in the churchyard, children are brought close to the Virgin's face, while the solemn hymn in honor of the patron saint resonates.

• Descent of the statue from the high altar
• Solemn procession through the streets of Presa
• Solemn Mass celebrated in the square upon return
• Auction of local products in the evening in the square
• Shows and band concerts throughout the month

An August in Presa

Surrounding the religious celebrations is the «Un Agosto a Presa» (An August in Presa) event, established in 1965, a long calendar of square shows, concerts, and cultural and sporting events organized by local committees. The festival is part of the municipality's broader summer program, featuring food festivals, rural traditions, and gastronomic events that highlight Etna's products, from Etna DOC wine to local fruits.

Between faith and Etna tradition

The Madonna delle Grazie Festival in Presa is much more than a religious anniversary: it is the moment when the village rediscovers its identity through ancient rites, music, fireworks, and conviviality. For visitors, it is the ideal opportunity to discover an authentic village in the Sicilian Etna region, far from the main tourist circuits, where popular spirituality and the bond with the mountain merge into a single, intense celebration.