 | This article includes alist of references,related reading, orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Varia di Palmi | |
|---|---|
 Transporting the "Varia di Palmi" (2008) | |
| Genre | Festival |
| Date | Last Sunday of August |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Locations | Palmi, Italy |
| Inaugurated | 1582 |
| Celebrations of big shoulder-borne processional structures | |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy |
| Reference | 00721 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2013 (8th session) |
| List | Representative |
TheVaria di Palmi is a Catholicfestival that takes place on the last Sunday of August, inPalmi, Italy, in honor of the city's patron saint and protector, theVirgin Mary, known asOur Lady of the Sacred Letter. The event is the most important festival in theCalabria region.
TheVaria is a huge holy wagon that represents theUniverse and theAssumption of the Virgin Mary. Above the sacred chariot, 200 "mbuttaturi" (carriers) carry 16 metres (52 ft) tall human figures: "Animella" (child representing the Virgin Mary) and human figures representing "Padreterno"God, theapostles, and angels. The entire structure weighs 20 tonnes (20 long tons; 22 short tons).
The event includes a procession the day before, displaying the painting of "Our Lady of the Sacred Letter" and the shrine of the "sacred hair".
The event is part of a network of "Celebrations of big shoulder-borne processional structures", inserted in 2013 in the list ofUNESCOMasterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In addition, the Istituto Centrale per la Demoetnoantropologia ("Central Institute of Demoethnoanthropology") inRome cataloged the event as "intangible heritage" of the regions ofItaly andRome. Palmi organizes the festival under the patronage of theProvince of Reggio Calabria,Calabria and religious institutions.
The origins of the festival date back to 1582, when theSenate of Messina gave a hair of theVirgin Mary to the town of Palmi, in gratitude for the aid provided to the Sicilian town during a plague. As a result of this gift, Palmi Messina imported the tradition of celebrating the Assumption of Mary with a votive chariot that represents the event.
Since 1900, theVaria has had several awards, including the cover of an issue ofLa Domenica del Corriere, a postage stamp produced byIstituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato and combined with a national lottery.
The event has been the subject of documentaries and profiles broadcast onRai 3 (2009) andRete 4 (2006), as well as live broadcasts on local stations and satellite.
