Patronal Feast of the Nativity of Mary

The patronal feast of Morino

In the small village of Morino, nestled in the Valle Roveto in the province of L'Aquila and in the heart of inland Abruzzo, September 8th is the most anticipated day of the year. It is the date when the community gathers around its patron saint, the Nativity of Mary, affectionately venerated here as Santa Maria Bambina. When the feast falls on a weekday, celebrations may be moved to the nearest Sunday to allow the entire village and returning emigrants to participate.

The statue of the Virgin and the procession

The star of the feast is the ancient wooden statue of the Virgin, a dark-skinned image in a Romanesque-Byzantine style, dating back to the 12th-13th century. Solemnly dressed and crowned according to tradition, the statue is usually kept in the parish church. On the day of the feast, following the solemn mass, it is carried in procession through the streets of the village, accompanied by the faithful, the clergy, and often a brass band.

The ritual of the Manto della Madonna

One of the most evocative moments is the stop at the so-called 'Manto della Madonna' (Virgin's Mantle): a rock upon which, according to an ancient local legend, the Virgin sat to rest during a weary journey, leaving the imprint of her mantle in the stone. Along the procession route, devotees approach and touch the rock, continuing a ritual gesture passed down from generation to generation, bridging faith and ancestral memory.

Old Morino and the memory of the earthquake

Marian devotion here is deeply rooted in the village's history. The original settlement, now known as Morino Vecchio, was devastated by the 1915 Marsica earthquake and subsequently abandoned; survivors rebuilt the town further down in the valley. Among the ruins of the old village, the cusped bell tower of the ancient church of Santa Maria Bambina still stands, a silent witness to a past that the September 8th feast continues to keep alive. The Marian cult in the area is also linked to the influence of the Cassinese monks, who introduced the veneration of the Virgin here.

A village between faith and nature

The feast is also an opportunity to rediscover the territory of the Municipality of Morino, set among the mountains and overlooking the Zompo lo Schioppo Nature Reserve, famous for its spectacular 80-meter waterfall, one of the highest in the Apennines. Ancient beech forests, chestnut groves, and an extensive system of karst caves frame a community that, on the day of its patron saint, finds the deepest sense of its own identity.