Local Traditions   

Festival of The Virgin Mary of Constantinople

The religious rites dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Constantinople start nine days before the solemn celebrations of Whit Tuesday. In the afternoon of the previous Sunday at the ringing of the bells for Evening Mass people gather in the church to attend the ritual. The statue of the Virgin Mary is taken down and placed at the centre of the presbytery area where the worshippers can kiss the statue. Afterwards it placed on an altar canopy specially made for the occasion of the novena that begins with the Evening Mass. The novena consists of a set of prayers and hymns composed for and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

During the afternoon of the Pentecost a rather unusual ritual takes place, possibly unique throughout the Molise region. A large wooden altar, called the Castellana, is raised. It consists of various levels and occupies the entire apse. The altar is covered with blue and red drapery, the typical colours of the Virgin Mary’s mantle, adorned with lace and ruche. Using a winch system the statue of the Virgin Mary is lifted to the top of the wooden altar. In this way the statue dominates the entire centre aisle and the congregation. The statue is then placed on the Trono, to use the local jargon, adorned with flowers. In the past women would have brought flowers, mainly roses, from the fields as an act of devotion.

Though little is known about this rite, some Byzantine influences are noticeable. These influences are nowadays present also in some parts of the Marian liturgy and devotion.

On Whit Monday, carrettini (small carts) are decorated with wild flowers, honeysuckle, roses and lilies, as well as with a thick carpet made of ivy branches and small bunches of muscill, dialect name for a wild flower growing in the underwood. The following day, the actual day of the Festival, as a sign of devotion to the Virgin Mary and as a request for Her blessing, mothers place their young children in the carrttell, dialect word meaning small carts. The carts are drawn by pairs of sheep wearing light-blue capes with the letter M, standing for Mary, embroidered.

The solemn celebrations begin on Whit Tuesday with the ringing of the church bells, followed by Early Mass. Long ago this service was called ‘Messa d’Uffizio’ (Divine Office). It was an important event, with members of the confraternity chanting ‘il mattutino’, a morning prayer dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

On the day of the Festival, the statue of the Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus is adorned with the jewellery donated over the years as votive offerings. Silver crowns usually adorning the Virgin Mary and the Child are replaced by golden ones. The statue is taken from the Castellana and placed on a canopy ready to be carried on the shoulders of at least twelve men throughout the streets of the village to the nearby fields. As patron saint of Pietracatella, the statue of the Virgin Mary is followed by the Confraternity and the Municipality banners together with flags of other local religious festivals. In the past the cross of the Confraternity was carried by twelve confraternity members wearing white gowns and red capes, representing the disciples.

The procession follows different routes depending on the year: on odd-numbered years it heads south and on even-numbered years it heads north. It goes to the contrade, rural areas being the Confraternity’s endowments. Once the fields are reached the priest gives his blessing and then there follows a firework display.

Festivities last all day. Late in the evening there is a brass band concert and at around midnight another firework display ends the celebrations.