Celebrating the patron saint, Maria Santissima del Soccorso
An invisible yet enduring thread binds the soul of Montalcino to its patron saint, the Madonna del Soccorso, celebrated every year on the 8th of May, the day on which a precious devotional image, preserved in the sanctuary devoted to the Virgin, is revealed to the faithful.
It is a bond as old as the stones of the town, as intimate as a maternal embrace, made up of silent devotion, of eyes turned up to heaven, of hearts beating in unison between faith and affection, between respect and trust. A deep relationship, carved in time and treasured in the heart of every native of Montalcino.
Starting on the evening of the 7th of May, this bond takes the form of the acts and rituals that mark the celebration dedicated to the Virgin.
The four districts of Montalcino, with the official figurants preceded by drums, clarion trumpets and the standard representing the municipality, make their way from Palazzo dei Priori to the sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso, where the votive candle is offered and the Litanies are sung. After the Procession followed by the town authorities enters the sanctuary, the votive candle offered by the four Districts is lit, and will illuminate the high altar of the Church devoted to the patron saint of Montalcino for a year. Immediately afterwards, the choir of worshippers sings the Litanies to invoke the Virgin’s protection.
At the end of the celebration, the procession returns along the main street towards the historic Town Hall, leading the participants towards Piazza del Popolo.
The intense devotion of the people of Montalcino to the Virgin Mary has ancient roots. On the 8th of May 2018, a solemn celebration commemorated the 300th anniversary of the coronation of the image of Maria Santissima del Soccorso, the town’s patron saint.
Religious devotion and civic responsibility come together in Montalcino’s patronal festivities in an inseparable and strongly identifying bond. After an initial intervention in the 1960s, since 1984 the religious festival has regularly included the participation of the districts of Montalcino in the ritual of the Offering of the Candle.
Every year on the morning of the 8th of December, the day of the Immaculate Conception, after the unveiling of the Holy Image, the District that has won the Sagra del Tordo Archery Tournament goes with its official representative to the sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso to honour the Virgin Mary for the victory on the field.
