WTI Magazine #31    2014 May, 22
Author : folclore.it      Translation by:

Our Lady of Grace of Artena (in the province of Rome) is venerated since the fifteenth century, when the statue of the Virgin of Grace was found, probably stolen by bandits in a Neapolitan church and left in the territory around Artena.

The first procession took place in the month of May of 1731 and since then it has performed continuously for 282 years without interruption, even during the wars.
In 1828 the image of the Virgin was crowned, because it was considered miraculous, given that many people witnessed miracles performed by Our Lady of Grace of Artena.

Since approximately 1850 the so called "Cristi Fiorati" are brought in procession: huge crucifixes garlanded with flower petals to represent the most important topics of faith. Each brotherhood carries one on a shoulder, accompanied by the banner of the brotherhood.

The procession is held every third Saturday of May and part of the usual home of the Madonna delle Grazie, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria, a church placed at the highest point of the city.

For over a year the Madonna is covered from the sight of the people and is discovered only on Friday, the eve of the procession.

The Procession of Our Lady through the streets of the historic center of Artena reaches the downstream part of the village and then goes back up to the old part of the town where, after a four-hour procession, arrives at the Church of the Holy Cross.

The statue is put on display for adoration and prayer for a week, until the following Sunday, when through another procession it returns to the church of Santa Maria.
The procession sees the participation of more than five thousand people. All or almost all are barefoot, and bring huge candles in their arms.