Procession of Our Lady of Sorrows

A centuries-old devotion in the heart of the Itria Valley

Every year in mid-September, Martina Franca experiences one of its most heartfelt religious observances: the festivities in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows. For one week, the Basilica of San Martino, a Baroque jewel dominating the historic center of this town in the province of Taranto, becomes the focal point of a popular devotion with over four centuries of history. The white city of the Itria Valley, famous for its trulli and Martina Baroque architecture, gathers around the venerated image of the Virgin of Sorrows.

The Confraternity of the Nativity and Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The organizational heart of the celebrations is the Confraternity of the Nativity and Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, founded in Martina Franca in 1621. In 1825, the title "Sorrows of Mary" was added to the original name, following its affiliation with the Order of the Seven Sorrows of Mary in Naples. Since then, the brotherhood has guarded and fostered the cult of the Addolorata, organizing the annual calendar of rosaries, masses, and processions that mark the week of festivities.

The ancient statue of the Addolorata

The absolute protagonist is the statue of the Madonna Addolorata, a fine wooden mannequin dating back to approximately 1677. The effigy is dressed in sumptuous velvet and silk robes, laminated in gold and embellished with embroidery, in a display that changes according to the occasion. It is one of the most beloved images by the local community and one of the most significant examples of Apulian devotional art.

The September procession

After days of prayer and catechesis, the festival culminates in the solemn evening procession. On the Sunday dedicated to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the statue of the Addolorata is carried along the traditional route through the streets and squares of the center. The procession is traditionally accompanied by a marching band, whose funeral and sacred marches make the atmosphere even more intense. The passage of the statue through lines of the faithful is one of the most attended moments of the entire liturgical year in Martina Franca.

Two faces of the same devotion

In Martina Franca, the same statue is honored with a double procession: the liturgical one in September and the nocturnal one during Holy Week. The latter, following a 19th-century tradition revived in 1999, takes place on the night between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, when the Addolorata silently traverses the city streets in a different robe than the one worn in September. These are two faces of the same profound Marian devotion that defines the religious identity of Martina Franca and Puglia.

A gathering of faith and community

The festival of the Addolorata is not just a religious event: it is a moment of reunion for the entire community, which recognizes itself in its roots and traditions. For visitors, it is an opportunity to discover, beyond the magnificent Basilica of San Martino, the sober and authentic charm of one of the most deeply rooted popular celebrations in the Taranto hinterland.