The Feast of the Madonna della Bruna, which is celebrated every 2 July in Matera, is a religious and cultural event of great importance for the city. This year, the festival celebrates its 635th edition and is enriched with a new milestone: the candidacy as a UNESCO heritage site.
A program full of events
The celebrations, which will take place from 19 June to 2 July, will offer a rich program of events for Matera residents and tourists. On 19 June, in the Cathedral, a narration of the history of the Festival will be held in dialect by the researcher of local traditions Angelo Sarra. On June 23, however, the papier-mâché triumphal machine, created by the artist Francesca Cascione, will be presented to the city.
The day of July 2nd
The highlight of the celebrations will be concentrated on July 2nd. In the morning, the shepherds’ procession will take place, which will wind through the city streets for safety reasons. At midday, the procession of the Madonna della Bruna, escorted by knights in period costume, will reach the Piccianello district. In the evening, the historical procession will start with the triumphal chariot, which will end with the “three laps of the Cathedral”. After the Madonna’s return to the Cathedral, the chariot will be attacked and destroyed by the crowd in a ritual known as the “strazzo”. Finally, at midnight, a fireworks display will light up the sky of Murgia Timone.
