History, faith, legend and folklore unite together 585 years of the Ennesi's tradition, in which they honor and boast about. To assist in this feast of the patron saint of the city of Enna it's like starting a propitiatory ritual, typical tragedy of the Greeks, when the people felt the need to be purified. It's exactly that feeling of the purification that brings to life and pushes the naked feet of the brothers of the "Madonna" to walk the most winding narrow streets of the city, bearing the weight of the gold "nave" the fruit of the ex vows of the devoted. It was the priest don Vincenzo Petroso, in one of the pubbilcation in 1790, to talk and give in detail about the first legend of the patron saint of Enna.

Magic that was breathen in the centuries which in the years has called back thousands of people. Up to a certain period this feast reached a certain splendor that recalled thousands of people in the region of the island, also because in combination a rich and pompous exibit of beast takes place.

The feast of the patron saint, starts officially on the 2nd of June, the way the tradition wants. At one time, the heraldry on top of the horses declamated the program in the crossroads and also in different regions of the city, today hundreds of devoted get together at dawn to assist a certain amount of cycles of liturgical celebration that end on the 2nd of July, it's the celebration day to honor Maria Santissima della Visitazione. The statue of the Madonna, it's all covered of gold, the statue gets organized inside a big "bara" from XVI century, it's called "Nave d'oro", it's carved with precious metal and it's carried on the shoulders of the 216 brothers; the old brotherhoods are gathered together, in dialect they are called the "Nudi". The tradition is made exactly like how the peasants did back then, they would pull the "nave" with the "fercolo" completely naked, with a white band that encircled their hips.

From XVII century the prior Grimaldi Petroso convinced the brothers to wear a long white shirt, with various embroidery. From that time everything was left unchanged. The brother's have their places assigned under the "bara", in virtue of a very old custom passed from father to son. Waving white handkerchiefs followed with shouts: "e cu voli grazia ricurra a Maria". The preparation of the long trip that brings the statue from the Mother Church to Montesalvo, a hermitage, is the most intense and emotional event. The "mastazzola" are distributed to the brothers, a dessert made with honey, corn flour (selected grain) and essence. In each and everyone of these sweets there is a monogram imprint of Maria.

The statue is covered with unestimable value of gold and gems, continues to follow the same road from a legend datedthe 30th of June 1413, the day in which the dignitaries of the Major Church, as to the purpose to stabilizing the path of the procession, bringing on top of the altar, at the feet of the Madonna, 25 pigeons in a cage. As soon as the starting signal is given the pigeons all come out from the temple, the guards are located in different corners of the city, were able to reconstruct the road that still is respected today on the 2nd of July, even for the return of the patron saint to the Mother Church, fifteen days after..

The procession, is the most noble part of the feast. Along the way, in the squares and in the streets there is a beautiful view of colorful fireworks. Even this is a custom, as time goes by it loses importance, a type of greeting that is used always from the quarters to the Madonna that passes with gold "nave". The crown of the statue is a precious jewel of gold, gems and of rare enamel of unestimable value, during the year it's under custody at the Alessi Museum.

The priore of the Mother Church, monsignor Petralia, comments: "It 's almost been six centuries that the Ennese have the privilege of the heavenly Patronage of Maria, that they invoke and they acclaim Signora of her city, and the ardent moving participation of the people at the grand procession every year there seems to be a dialogue of joy between the Virgin patron and her people, those people that invoked her in the most painful straits of her pluralcentury history, ever since, the statue from Venice came to Enna, to confirm the love of the Ennesi for their Madonna, came down upon her people to "miracol mostrare".

Ivan Scinardo