santuario, diocesano, mariano, Santissima Vergine Maria della Stella (Madonna della Stella)

On a hillside a kilometre from the centre of San Costantino Albanese, in the province of Potenza, stands the Santuario della Madonna della Stella. This Baroque church, known locally simply as ‘Kapelja’, is the focus of a deeply felt, intimate festival held on the second Sunday of May. Three Sundays prior, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated here according to the Greek rite, after which a procession descends from the sanctuary, accompanied by the plaintive sound of bagpipes and reed pipes. It is a private moment, shared only by the local community. In the piazza below, the women kneel to await the statue’s entry into the parish church. For twenty-one consecutive evenings, the ‘Paraclisis to the Mother of God’ is sung, drawing pilgrims from neighbouring communities. The final week is called ‘Java e Kapeles’. On the Saturday, the bishop arrives, and at the evening Vespers, he places a golden crown upon the Madonna’s head. As the glass case is closed, the men raise the shrine aloft to cheers and hymns.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.