Chapel Madonna dei Miracoli - Alcamo

This chapel is located on the corner of Via S. Coraci and Via Discesa Santuario.

It is dedicated to Saint Mary of Miracles , the patron saint of Alcamo. The cult of the Madonna dei Miracoli in Alcamo dates back to June 21, 1547, the date that commemorates the appearance of the Madonna to some commoners near a stream flowing north of the town of Alcamo.

According to legend, peasant women, including a blind one and a deaf one, saw a woman and child appear while they were washing their clothes in the stream, and were hit by a barrage of stones during the apparition, without suffering any injury or pain ; on the contrary, after being hit by the stones, they strangely felt a certain sense of well-being and recovered. After hearing this news, the women's husbands, thinking it was a hoax , went to investigate, thinking someone was hiding in the bushes nearby, but they found no one. Local authorities investigated the crime scene.

Local authorities then investigated the scene and cleared a nearby bush. In doing so, they found the ruins of the "cuba", an old mill arch that had fallen into oblivion. Inside was a fresco on stone by an unknown painter from the 13th century, depicting the Madonna and Child Jesus, which the faithful initially called "Madonna Fonte della Misericordia" (Our Lady's Source of Mercy), but due to the large number of miracles that followed, the name was changed to "Madonna dei Miracoli" in 1583.

From 1547 onwards, Our Lady of Miracles became the patron saint of the town of Alcamo, replacing the Santissimo Crocifisso, who was patron saint of Alcamo and other neighboring towns.

Every year in the town of Alcamo from June 19 to 21 there are celebrations in honor of the Madonna dei Miracoli. The traditional descent to the shrine also takes place during the so-called "Historical Procession" , performed in historical clothing. Often the actual celebrations are preceded by other events, extending the celebration to about two weeks. Horse races used to be scheduled along Corso VI Aprile (and in recent years also in Viale Italia), but this tradition (called "Palio di Alcamo") was subsequently interrupted at the request of the National Animal Protection Association.

Willem Vandenameele