July 16th marks the start of the famous and hugely-popular Festa de' Noantri, which takes place each year in Trastevere and lasts until the end of the month.
Noantri is a contraction in romanesco (the Roman dialect) of the words 'noi altri' ('we others'), which is how the trasteverini like to distinguish themselves from the rest of the city. The origins of the festival date back to 1535, when some fishermen found a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary at the mouth of the river. It was donated to the Carmelite friars of the ancient church of San Crisogono and placed in nearby San Giovanni dei Genovesi. It was later moved to its current location in Sant' Agata in Trastevere, which stands in the shadow of San Crisogono. The Madonna del Carmine, as the statue is known, leaves home once a year, on the first Saturday after the feast of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, which is celebrated on July 16th. Bedecked and bejewelled, the wooden statue is borne aloft through the streets of Trastevere before being placed for the night in the church of San Crisogono. Comments are closed.
|
My name is David Lown and I am an art historian from Cambridge, England. Since 2001 I have lived in Italy, where I run private walking tours of Rome.
Search Walks in Rome:
Most Popular Posts
Archives
July 2024
|