Solemnity of the Madonna della Cava

Marsala's most cherished festival

January 19th is the most significant day in the devotional calendar of Marsala, a city on the western coast of the province of Trapani, in Sicily. On this date, the community gathers around Maria Santissima della Cava, the city's primary Patroness and special protector, as well as the patron saint of the Municipal Police. It is a solemnity that shapes the city's identity, drawing thousands of faithful to the Sanctuary of the Cava and along the streets of the historic center.

The legend of the discovery

Tradition holds that in 1514, the Virgin appeared in a dream to the Augustinian friar Leonardo Savina, urging him to dig in an abandoned quarry. After four years of excavation, on January 19, 1518, following the collapse of a boulder, a small marble statue of the Madonna, measuring just eighteen centimeters, was found. The words the Virgin allegedly spoke — "Cava, cava" (Dig, dig) — gave the image and the sanctuary their name. Since then, the main festival has been celebrated every year on January 19th, the day of the miraculous discovery, while May 6th commemorates the 1788 notarial act by which the Madonna was proclaimed Patroness of the city.

The Sanctuary of the Cava

The cult is centered at the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima della Cava, in the Porticella area, built within the ancient cave where the discovery took place. The church, erected by the Augustinians in the 17th century, was destroyed by the 1943 bombings, but the statue was recovered intact from the rubble; the current sanctuary is the result of a reconstruction consecrated in 2000. The statuette, kept in a precious silver reliquary, is a destination for continuous pilgrimages by the people of Marsala.

The novena and the Patroness's day

The festival begins a few days earlier with the novena, from January 10th to 18th, marked by the Rosary in the local dialect and Eucharistic celebrations at the cave of the Sanctuary, including the presentation of the statue's litter and a prayer vigil on the evening of the 17th. On January 19th, holy masses are held every hour from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM, while at 10:30 AM, the Mother Church hosts the celebration for the Municipal Police feast, attended by civil, military, and religious authorities. In the afternoon, the most anticipated moment is the solemn procession of the statue, which travels from the Sanctuary through the main streets with a stop in front of the Town Hall, before the evening Eucharistic concelebration at the Mother Church, presided over by the Bishop.

• Municipality: Marsala (Province of Trapani, Sicily)
• Patroness: Maria Santissima della Cava
• Main date: January 19th (discovery of the statue in 1518)
• Novena: January 10-18 at the Sanctuary of the Cava
• Location: Sanctuary of the Cava (Porticella) and Mother Church

For the people of Marsala, the solemnity of January 19th is not just a religious appointment, but a collective act of entrusting the city to its heavenly protector, intertwining faith, centuries-old history, and popular identity.