Landing of the Madonna of Custonaci

The people of the Erice countryside have a strong bond with the Madonna of Custonaci, patron of numerous municipalities that split off from Erice.

The celebrations in her honour take place in the last week of August: they begin on Sunday and end on Wednesday with the solemn procession of the painting of the Madonna through the town streets.

According to legend, a French ship that had escaped shipwreck with the precious cargo of the painting of the “Madonna of Custonaci”, now venerated in the town’s sanctuary, landed in Cala di Bukutò, a bay with a splendid sea. In memory of this event, every Monday before the last Wednesday of August, during the celebrations in honour of the “Madonna of Custonaci”, this legendary event is re-enacted, with the evocative arrival of a sailing ship: once a copy of the famous painting has been landed, in the spectacular setting of the bay lit by fireworks, the large crowd present gives life to an evocative torchlit procession that accompanies the sacred image to the town.