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| La Vara Festival in Messina, Sicily |
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La Vara
Among the most important and popular religious festivals and rites of the city of Messina is without doubt the Vara, a picturesque and fascinating procession that takes place on 15 August, in memory of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. Instituted in the fifteenth or sixteenth century, this great celebration requires massive preparation and involves a good part of the city folk.
The "machine" used for the procession is very sophisticated, perhaps the work of F. Maurolico; the structure, with a pyramid shape, 15 m. high and weighing 8 tons, has complex devices and mechanisms inside that, worked by hand, enable its various movements. At the base of the Vara is portrayed the tomb of Our Lady surrounded by the Apostles, further up are the angels, bearing olive branches and rotating together with the sun and moon.
Even higher are cherubs, the celestial sphere surrounded by the zodiac, and at the top the figure of Christ, who holds our Holy Mother in the palm of his right hand, now assumed into Heaven.
Up to the nineteenth century in place of the statues now used live characters were arranged on the Vara, children and youths from four to fourteen years old, and this theatrical votive litter, mounted on large steel runners, was dragged around the city streets by thousands of worshippers, to the cry of "Long Live Mary!", exactly as occurs nowadays, in an atmosphere of deep devotion.
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Posted by backpackernews on 2008-08-16 13:43:23 | Rating: | Views: 242
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