The church of Maria Santissima delle Grazie, in Gela, was built in 1261 by the Conventual Friars Minor and became the permanent seat of the Capuchins in 1574. It is the church of Our Lady of Grace, whose statue is at the centre of the festival most deeply felt by the people of Gela.
What to see
Originally with a single nave, the church underwent radical architectural changes throughout the twentieth century. It holds a wooden statue of 1813 depicting Our Lady of Grace, the work of Vincenzo Genovese: every 2 July it is carried in procession through the streets of the city.
The sources describe the festival as the religious event closest to the local people's hearts: a barefoot procession of devotees through the streets of the upper town, following the nineteenth-century statue, which stops for offerings of money and valuables; the ceremony of undressing the children favoured by the Madonna; the great garlanded candles carried by hand by the faithful. It ends with the statue's return and fireworks over the sea.
Visiting
The church is in Gela. The sources consulted give no opening hours or visiting arrangements: check them with the parish.
Our editors' tip
To see the church at its liveliest you have to be in Gela on 2 July, the day of the procession; among the side events is the market in via Mare. It is worth asking the Comune or the parish for the programme in advance, since the sources give no details.
