Peregrinatio of the Icon of Maria SS. di Casaluce

A tradition that unites two cities

The Peregrinatio of the Icon of Maria SS. di Casaluce is one of the oldest and most profound expressions of Marian devotion in the Aversa area, in the province of Caserta. At the heart of the rite is a Byzantine icon, kept in the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Casaluce, which is transferred every year to Aversa, the Norman city, to remain there for four months. For the rest of the year, the venerated image returns to its sanctuary in Casaluce: a centuries-old bond that unites two communities in Campania in a shared history of faith.

The origin of the icon and the sanctuary

According to tradition, the sacred image arrived in the Kingdom of Naples as a gift linked to a return from the Holy Land and was entrusted to the noble del Balzo family, barons of Casaluce. In 1360, the Celestinian monks transformed the ancient Norman fortress into a monastery, building the Gothic abbey that still houses the sanctuary today. In 1772, by a rescript of Pope Clement XIV obtained by Bishop Borgia, the Virgin of Casaluce was proclaimed the Principal Patroness of the Diocese of Aversa.

The 1857 agreement and the translation

The rhythm of the pilgrimage is regulated by a royal decree of March 23, 1857, which established the dual translation: the icon remains for eight months in Casaluce and four months in Aversa. The mid-June transfer takes place at the Abbey of San Lorenzo ad Septimum, a symbolic border site between the two territories, before the image is welcomed into the Church of Santi Filippo e Giacomo on Via Roma, where it resides until autumn.

The week of the Peregrinatio

For eight days, starting June 15, the icon does not remain stationary: it travels through the city districts and stops at various parishes in Aversa, accompanied by processions, Eucharistic celebrations, and moments of prayer. It is the popular heart of the festival, involving neighborhoods, confraternities, and the faithful in a widespread urban pilgrimage that transforms the city streets into a path of shared devotion.

The return to Casaluce

The cycle concludes on October 15, when the icon leaves Aversa and returns in procession to the Sanctuary of Casaluce, greeted by fireworks and festivities that animate the surrounding villages. The festival of October 15, with its rites, traditional games, and liturgical celebrations, seals a year of shared journey between the two communities.

A heritage of Campania

Due to its historical continuity and deep-rooted identity, the translation and the Peregrinatio of the icon of Casaluce have been recognized as intangible cultural heritage of Campania: not just a religious event, but a living tradition that weaves history, art, and community in the Aversa territory.