Feast of the Madonna of Porto Salvo
Experience the Feast of Portosalvo, in Catanzaro Lido, and the traditional ‘’sea procession‘’
Religious
Festa della Madonna di Portosalvo, Catanzaro - Regione Calabria
Our Lady of Porto Salvo is one of the titles under which the Virgin Mary is venerated as the ‘’protector of sailors and fishermen‘’. Our Lady of Porto Salvo is celebrated in many Italian coastal locations, particularly in the south and in Calabria, where the strong Marian devotion of fishermen has given rise to popular summer festivities.
Among the celebrations, the Feast of the Madonna di Porto Salvo in Catanzaro Lido (Marina di Catanzaro, Blue Flag) is one of the most popular. It usually takes place on the last Sunday of July and includes an evocative ‘’sea procession‘’ with hundreds of decorated boats following the main fishing boat, on which the statue of the Madonna is placed.
The Porto Salvo Feast revolves around the small church of the same name in the fishing district, where fishermen's families and the community of the faithful gather to pay homage to the patron saint. The special local devotion is linked to the miraculous rescue of a crew at sea during a storm.
The religious event is complemented by concerts, tastings and sports competitions, in the spirit of an event that is recognised as a ‘’Demoetno-anthropological asset‘’ due to its historicity.
