Thanksgiving Festival and Coronation of Our Lady of Miracles

A festival born from a miracle

The Thanksgiving Festival in Caltabellotta, located in the heart of the Agrigento province in Sicily, is one of the most intimate and identity-defining events of this medieval village, perched at an altitude of over 900 meters. It is celebrated every year between late March and early April to give thanks to the SS. Crocifisso 'Dio Vivo' (Holy Crucifix 'Living God') and Maria SS. dei Miracles, the town's patron saints.

The 1957 rain miracle

The festival's origins are rooted in an event etched into the collective memory of Caltabellotta. Between 1956 and 1957, a long and severe drought threatened the crops and the very survival of the farming families. On March 27, 1957, the inhabitants carried the statues of the Madonna dei Miracoli and the Crucifix in procession toward the Giubbu district, invoking rain with the ancient dialect cry: «l'acqua e lu pani vulemu» (we want water and bread). Tradition holds that a cloud appeared from the sea and it finally began to rain, saving the fields. Since that year, the community has held an annual thanksgiving festival.

The 'Festa di li Fimmini'

The event is known to everyone as the 'Festa di li Fimmini', or 'Women's Festival', because it has always been organized by a committee composed exclusively of local women, who handle the collection of offerings, the decorations, and the procession of the statues. This distinctive trait sets it apart from the large summer patronal feast and makes it a rare example of female-led popular devotion.

The procession through the village streets

The ritual unfolds in two processional moments. The pageant begins at the Church of the Capuchins with the departure of the 'Dio Vivo' Crucifix and continues toward the Church of Saint Augustine. The route winds through the most characteristic streets of the historic center—via Fontanelle, Piazza Umberto I, Randa, Pietra, Putieddi, San Paolo—visiting the various districts of the town before returning.

The Madonna dei Miracoli

The venerated statue of the Madonna dei Miracoli dates back to 1546. According to tradition, it was carved from the wood of a fig tree found near the Gogala cliff: during the carving process, a sudden and violent storm threatened to ruin the work, but the craftsman found the statue miraculously intact and perfectly dry. Over the centuries, the faithful have donated gold to the Madonna for graces received, making the statue particularly precious and beloved.