Festa del Santissimo Crocifisso di Colonna

Events

When?
May

Where?
Trani

La Festa del Santissimo Crocifisso di Colonna (Feast of the Holy Crucifix of Colonna) is a religious celebration deeply rooted in the tradition of Trani, held annually on 3rd May.

The origins of this feast date back to 1480, the year in which, according to legend, the wooden Crucifix kept in the Church of Santa Maria from Colonna was the object of a sacrilegious theft. The wrongdoers, after mutilating the statue's nose, threw it into the sea, but the Crucifix miraculously returned to shore — an event that strengthened the devotion of the people of Trani towards this sacred image.

The celebrations begin with a three-day period of preparation at the Santuario di Santa Maria di Colonna, marked by the recitation of the Holy Rosary and the celebration of Santa Messa (Holy Mass), while the high point of the festivities falls on 3rd May, the day of the solemnity itself.

The day opens with a morning Mass at the sanctuary, presided over by the Archbishop, with the participation of civil and military authorities, the city's clergy and the various confraternities.

Afterwards, the Crucifix is loaded onto a boat at the Lido A.N.M.I. and carried by sea to the Molo Santa Lucia.

Upon arrival, welcomed by a fireworks display, a procession follows through the streets of the city, ending at the Church of Santa Maria del Pozzo, where the sacred image remains on display for the veneration of the faithful until 9th May. 

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