For four months it is in Aversa, then it returns to Casaluce. It is not a simple procession and not even a custom born in recent times: for over a century and a half, the Sacred Icon of the Madonna of Casaluce has followed a precise calendar, moving from one community to the other. The most awaited moment arrives every year on October 15th, when the image of the Virgin leaves Aversa and is brought back to Casaluce, where it will remain for the following eight months.
The history surrounding this ancient icon is made of documents, traditions, and legends that over the centuries have intertwined to become part of the identity of the entire Aversa territory. The image is a Byzantine icon of the Virgin and Child, traditionally attributed to Saint Luke, although this attribution belongs to devotional tradition and is not an established historical fact. Its history is linked to the presence of the Celestines, who played a fundamental role in spreading the cult between Casaluce and Aversa.
According to one of the most well-known legends, a woman with a child arrived during a stormy night asking the monks for hospitality. After being welcomed, the following morning she could no longer be found. In her place, a small image of the Madonna and Child remained. It is a story that belongs to popular tradition and has contributed to making the origin of the devotion even more mysterious and fascinating.
The historical account of the icon’s presence between Casaluce and Aversa is instead linked to the history of the Celestines. Their seasonal transfer to Aversa brought with it the sacred image, which was gradually venerated by the population of Aversa. From this, disputes arose over the permanence of the icon, until the authorities intervened to definitively establish the timing of its stay in the two towns.
The decisive step came with the government decree of March 23, 1857, issued under Ferdinand II of Bourbon. It was established that the Madonna of Casaluce should remain eight months in Casaluce and four months in Aversa, with two specific dates for the translation: June 15, when the icon is transferred to Aversa, and October 15, when it returns to Casaluce. It is a provision that still governs this very unique tradition today.
And it is precisely October 15 that transforms the transfer into one of the most heartfelt events for the community. The Sacred Icon is accompanied on its return to Casaluce through a solemn translation, in which numerous faithful participate. The journey becomes a moment of prayer but also of strong popular participation, because families, confraternities, bearers, and inhabitants of the two territories come together around the Madonna.
The uniqueness of the festival also lies in the fact that Aversa and Casaluce literally share the same sacred image. There are not two Madonnas of Casaluce: it is the same icon that spends part of the year in one city and the rest in the other. A custom that has become so deep-rooted that it is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Campania.
The return to Casaluce then opens the days of the festival dedicated to the Madonna, traditionally celebrated from October 15 to 20. The religious celebrations are accompanied by a popular dimension made up of processions, illuminations, music, and moments of gathering. Once, along the route of the procession, agricultural, food, and craft products were also collected and then auctioned off to contribute to the festival’s expenses: a custom that shows how much the celebration was concretely supported by the entire community.
One of the most curious aspects of the translation concerns the almost “familial” relationship that the two communities have developed towards the icon. Throughout history, there have been no shortage of discussions and conflicts regarding its stay, so much so that popular tradition has preserved the memory of a sort of symbolic contention between Aversa and Casaluce. Today, that past is primarily memory and folklore, but it contributes to making this festival different from many other Marian celebrations.
October 15th, therefore, is not just a date on the religious calendar. It is the day on which the Madonna of Casaluce returns to the place that houses her for most of the year, honoring an agreement established in 1857 that has remained alive to this day.
Behind that procession lies a history spanning centuries, in which devotion to the Virgin, the presence of the Celestines, the events of Aversa and Casaluce, and a popular legend that is still told today all intersect. And perhaps it is precisely this continuity that makes the recurrence so special: while people, streets, and generations change, the journey of the Madonna continues to repeat itself, every June 15th towards Aversa and every October 15th towards Casaluce.
