Patronal Feast of the Madonna di Anzano

A devotion on the border between Daunia and Irpinia

In Anzano di Puglia, one of the smallest villages in the province of Foggia and the entire Puglia region, the Patronal Feast of the Madonna di Anzano is the event that has defined the community's identity for centuries. Nestled in the Daunian Mountains, at the crossroads between the Daunia of Puglia and the Irpinia of Campania, the town houses the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Anzano, the destination of a pilgrimage that draws faithful from neighboring towns every year.

The legend of the oxen

Tradition tells that, towards the end of the 12th century, some shepherds from Trevico, Scampitella, and Zungoli found a statue of the Virgin in the woods, wrapped in a blue mantle embroidered with stars and holding the Child in her arms. When they tried to transport her to their villages on an ox-drawn cart, the animals stopped and refused to move further. Only at the spot where the "Masserie" now stand did the oxen stop for good, signaling the Madonna's desire to remain at the site of her discovery: a small church dedicated to Santa Maria in Silice was built there, entrusted to the care of a hermit.

The pilgrimage on the Monday after Pentecost

The feast is celebrated on the Monday following Pentecost. The statue of the Madonna is placed on an ox-drawn cart and accompanied on foot to the hamlet of Mastralessio, the meeting point for pilgrims arriving from Trevico, Zungoli, Vallesaccarda, and Scampitella. Each community marches led by its own parish priest and accompanied by a brass band, carrying crosses and banners; in the final stretch, the statue is carried on the shoulders of the devotees up to the sanctuary, where a solemn Holy Mass is celebrated.

Faith, tradition, and popular celebration

• Procession with the statue on an ox-drawn cart, commemorating the ancient miracle
• Brass bands, hymns, and prayers along the route
• Convergence of pilgrims from the Avellino and Daunia areas
• Musical performances and fireworks to conclude the festivities

The sanctuary and its history

The bond between Anzano di Puglia and its patron saint is so deep that, on November 21, 1820, Pope Pius VII elevated the church to a sanctuary, granting a plenary indulgence to the faithful who visit it on February 2. The Patronal Feast of the Madonna di Anzano remains today one of the most authentic expressions of popular religiosity in the Subappennino Dauno, capable of uniting Puglia and Campania in a single rite.