Maria S.S. delle Grotte Celebrations

The 2025 edition

Faithful to a tradition that has been repeated for over four centuries, in May 2025 Antrodoco (Province of Rieti, Lazio) celebrated its patron saint, Maria S.S. delle Grotte. As is customary, the venerated Image of the Virgin was carried in procession from the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grotte to the collegiate church of Santa Maria Assunta, where it remained exposed for the devotion of the faithful until Pentecost.

The weeks of festivities combined the religious dimension—masses, novenas, and processions—with the civic one, featuring illuminations, a band, stalls, and music evenings in the town. On the Monday following Pentecost, the Image returned to its Sanctuary along the festively decorated streets, following a ritual that remains the heart of the Antrodoco community's identity.