Varia di Palmi

The Varia di Palmi is one of the most important religious festivals in Calabria, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (among the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity) in 2013.

It is celebrated on the last Sunday of August and is dedicated to Maria Santissima della Sacra Lettera, patron saint of the city. The fascinating procession of the Varia di Palmi consists of a gigantic "votive machine on the shoulders" (over 15 metres high) that is carried by the faithful through the streets of the town.

The circular route starts from the Church of San Rocco and returns to it, usually crossing Corso Garibaldi, Piazza della Libertà, Via Nazionale with a stop at the Convent of San Francesco. 

The Varia, imported from nearby Messina in 1582, depicts the Assumption of Mary into heaven through hundreds of figures. Suspended at the top of the structure is the so-called Animella, a little girl representing the Madonna, a figure charged with religious and anthropological implications. Tied to the structure, the other children represent the angels, while at the foot of the float stand the apostles and, finally, the bearers.

Visit Palmi (RC) during the procession of the Varia and discover all the artistic and scenic beauties in the surrounding area.