Maria SS. del Ponte Festival (Ferragosto)

In 2025, the Luminaria dell'Apparizione renewed the spectacle of the illuminated staircase in Caltagirone on the evenings of August 14th and 15th, in honor of Maria SS. del Ponte. The year's design, signed by master Giuseppe Ales, was dedicated to Pope Leo XIV, featuring decorative elements that recalled Calatino tradition and Marian symbols. To compose the carpet of light, approximately 3,770 colored lanterns were lit, installed using the ancient oil-lamp technique by the Russo family, custodians of the tradition and recognized in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily (REIS). On the evening of August 14th, the staircase, immersed in darkness, was lit along the steps; on the 15th, around 11:00 PM, a fireworks display from the top of the stairs accompanied the return of the Marian procession to the Sanctuary.