Eighth Annual Festival in Honor of the Sicilian Black Madonna di Tindari

Festa at the former site of her devotion.

Devotion to the Black Madonna has long existed in Europe. The various aspects of the dark-skinned Virgin Mary are considered miraculously powerful and are credited with having protected believers from such afflictions as earthquakes, pestilence, and the attacks of invading armies. Representations of the Black Madonna in European art depict her with a dark complexion but not "African" facial features; thus they are different from the religious images developed for local communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Contact: (212) 642-2035

www.nyfolklore.org/pubs/voic30-1-2/madonna.html