The sanctuary of Maria Santissima del Fiume lies in the territory of Alcamo, on state road 113 just after the Alcamo Ovest exit of the A29 motorway, near the Freddo river. It grew out of the memory of the 1820 revolt, known in Alcamo as Lu ribeddu di lu 1820: an uprising against taxes and the wine duty, with an attack on the town hall, burned records and several victims. The king sent General Florestano Pepe from Naples with about sixty thousand soldiers to crush the Sicilian insurrections.
What to see
As Colonel Flugy marched from Trapani towards Palermo, he was driven back by rebels from Alcamo who had gathered in large numbers near the Freddo river. Tradition attributes the outcome to a miracle of the Madonna del Fiume, who is said to have stopped the Bourbon troops with providential rain, and a chapel was built in her honour; beside the little church, near the river, there is still a shrine mentioned by the poet Peppi Enia in his poem in octaves on 1820.
The present sanctuary was built in the early twentieth century. Inside are the statue of the Madonna del Fiume, carved by Giuseppe Ospedale in 1925, and a ceiling fresco by the Alcamo painter Liborio Pirrone.
Visiting
The chapel is a pilgrimage destination in May, especially on Saturday mornings, when Mass was celebrated; the feast, with a country fair, was held on the first Sunday of August. Dates and times should be checked.
Our editors' tip
General Pepe, judged too soft on the rebels, was recalled to Naples, and it was his successor, General Pietro Colletta, who put down the insurrection.
