In these days, in Somma Vesuviana, one of the special events took place to celebrate the ancient "Festa di Madonna di Castello".
The festival is divided into several phases and is animated by suggestive events. The interpretations provided on the significance of the event are multiple and persuasive, in particular the re-enactment is linked to the discovery of the head of the wooden statue of the Madonna di Castello that was destroyed during the eruption of the 1631.
There are countless festivals linked to tradition everywhere and yet that of the Madonna di Castello arouses great interest. The celebrations begin on the first Saturday after Easter and end on May 3. The celebration of May XNUMXst is essentially a pilgrimage that has as its destination the summit of Mount Somma, where there is a chapel that houses a small statue of the Madonna.
First of all, having reached the goal, everyone (without distinction) stops to pay homage to the Madonna (Mamma Schiavona). Anyone who observes what happens realizes that the veneration is almost identical, not only of the elderly, formed in another historical and cultural context, but also that of young people who for the occasion seem very distant from today's prevailing cultural customs, which unite them. wherever they live. There is a natural and unexpected need for spirituality and more, but also an extraordinary interest for the environment, for nature. Many boys come down from the mountain tumbling along the gullies full of volcanic debris. From the side of Mount Somma you can admire an unexpected panorama that blends the sea and the hinterland. To reach the top you need a good dose of determination.
We leave early, at four. With a suitable vehicle you can travel a first stretch, reached, in our case, thanks to the availability of other pilgrims, sitting in a cart pulled by a tractor. The second part of the route can only be undertaken on foot, along rather steep walkways. The time to reach the summit is about an hour. At the top of the mountain there are no restaurants so you need to bring the necessary to spend a long day on the mountain. Being a party, as a rule, the backpack turns out to be very heavy. In general, the formal protocol strictly regulates all connected aspects during the village festival. On the mountain the breath of the party that you breathe is very different: everything appears more spontaneous and welcoming, there is a sharing and a co-participation; foundations that are now increasingly rare in our daily lives. The meat is roasted on embers fueled by wood. The pasta seasoned with oil, garlic, parsley, chilli pepper and walnuts is cooked with rainwater collected in a specially built tank. Then there is the wine, similar to what the peasants drank in large gulps to alleviate the fatigue and suffering associated with their existence.
The tammorre the dances and the tribal song do the rest making everyone participate. Also in this case we realize the value and strength of tradition, the authentic one, the one in which young people and veterans speak the same language, understand each other, express the same passions.
The excursion to Monte Somma is an experience that we wish everyone to accomplish, and also to meet the entertainers of the party organized in Paranze*, the oldest of which is that of the 'gnundo' (node) animated by Lucio, Luigi, Diana and others, to understand the deeper aspects of the party.
*Ancient fishing boat, with the term "paranza" the crew is implied
