Have you ever been in Giovinazzo?

Considered one of the hundred most beautiful places where you can take refuge, the etymology of its name “Jovis Natio” would seem to refer to a “mythological” birth, by the god Jupiter. Founded probably before Bari, it presents an extraordinary historical center, characterized by an alternation of churches, alleys and incredible historical traces.

One of them is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta: built in 1183, its Romanique walls are characterized by Oriental and Norman elements and guard the icon of the sacred image of the Virgin.

Icona della Madonna di Corsignano fonte: https://www.facebook.com/comitatofestedigiovinazzo/

This icon is the protagonist of an event for which Giovinazzo is known: the historical parade, the Corteo Storico.

Let’s see the origins of this extraordinary moment. It seems that in 1187 the crusader Gereteo had found an image of the Virgin in the Turkish city of Edessa and decided to donate it to a church in the Corsignano hamlet, in the Giovinazzo’s countryside. There it remained until, at the end of the seventeenth century, Bishop Alfieri decided to move it to the city’s cathedral. The procession has just the task of “narrating” the history of this move.

Among the many miraculous events that the Faith has attributed to her, the Miracle of the Rain remains memorable. It ended a disastrous period of drought. Since then the people called the Maria of Corsignano “the Madonna dell’Acqua” (Madonna of water) and later elected her as Patrona ( from http://www.giovinazzomia.it/Folclore.htm#Il%20corteo). We can admire knights, ladies and notables in striking costumes, flag-waving shows, lights, colors and music, without forgetting the religious congregations with their respective banners: the one of Purification (vulgo Gialuid), blue for the Madonna of Constantinople, green the Madonna of the Angels, brown S. Francesco da Paola, red the Trinity, yellow-gold St. Michael, white for the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy and black and white that of the SS Rosario (from http://www.giovinazzomia.it/Folclore.htm#Il%20corteo). If you want you can see the corteo in August the 18th,in a few days.

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit this country and experience its events.

Maria Domenica Depalo