Church of the Carmine and Sanctuary of Maria SS. dell'Udienza
A worksite in progress
In 1633, Marquis Ignazio Bardi-Spatafora-Centelles spearheaded an extensive campaign to expand the church: two smaller lateral naves were added to the original nave. Known also as the Church of the Carmine due to the presence of Carmelite monks, the church was dedicated to Our Lady of the Annunciation. The church's construction continued into the 20th century, with the most significant change occurring around 1915: the original façade, which featured a lower triportico, was replaced. This monumental work, overseen by local craftsmen and sculptors from Palermo, including Salvatore Affronti, was completed in 1928 under the direction of architect Bilà. The new façade enhanced the church's dramatic effect, especially given its elevated position above the town center, with a carefully designed perspective fitting for the sanctuary it would later become. The elegant and majestic façade features four pairs of columns with capitals, two in the lower section and two in the upper. The grand wooden entrance portal boasts engravings and decorations extending throughout the building in two tiers. In 2024, the "Sambuca Welcoming" project, funded by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, included the redevelopment of the sanctuary's forecourt. The area was repaved with a non-slip volcanic monolayer material. The new paving features large squares defined by light bands, with contrasting bricks inside. At the center of the forecourt, the Marian monogram "A" and "M" (Auspice Maria, meaning "under the protection of Mary" in Latin) are prominently displayed. The stylized initials are surrounded by 12 stars, symbolizing the Virgin Mary as described in the biblical Book of Revelation: "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars."
The Church of Carmine, Sanctuary of Maria SS. dell’Udienza
We are at the main place of worship in Sambuca, the beating heart of the community around which the village developed. In ancient times, there stood a small church dedicated to Saint Anthony Abbot, built in 1530 by the Marquis of Sambuca, Don Salvatore Bardi Mastrantonio. It was expanded in 1615 when the new Carmelite Convent was added. Founded by Don Vincenzo Bardi Mastrantonio adjacent to the church, the cloister, where the friars' cells faced, and part of the building, now used as the Council Chamber and Municipal Library, are still preserved.
The treasures of the Church of Carmine
Inside, the Church of the Carmine is divided into three naves and five bays, separated by round arches and scenic pillars. Beneath the frescoed medallions of the main nave, the church houses works from the former Convent of Santa Maria di Gesù (17th century): the marble statue of Saint Anne with the young Madonna, attributed to the school of Gagini (likely Nunzio La Matina, a sculptor from the early 1600s), and a wooden Crucifix. It also preserves funerary monuments erected in honor of noble families and notable figures from the town, such as the Oddo, Planeta, and Navarro families (the mausoleum of the latter stands out for its fine medallions and half-busts in pure white marble). The interior of the church was renovated in the early 1900s and enriched with exquisite Murano glass chandeliers. In 1949, the Church was elevated to the status of a Marian Sanctuary, and in 1981, the apse was restored by the painter Tommaso Montana and the young Enzo Maniscalco. The attics contain valuable frescoes dating back to the late 1500s, which are currently not accessible.
The marble statue of Maria SS. dell'Udienza
The undisputed treasure of the Church of the Carmine is undoubtedly the marble statue of the Madonna of the Audience, attributed to Antonello Gagini and dating back to the early 16th century. It is placed on the main altar alongside its monumental wooden feretory from 1817, with fine classical gilding. This piece, which resembles a royal throne, was restored in 1982 by Tommaso Montana and Enzo Maniscalco. At the top of the feretory, a crown is supported by fluted columns topped with capitals. Every year, on the third Sunday of May, a group of 100 men known as "I nudi" (The Naked Ones) carry the statue of the Madonna of the Audience on their shoulders in a procession. This Madonna is venerated as the Patron and Protector of Sambuca, having miraculously delivered the town from the plague in the 16th century. The Madonna of the Audience—or "dell’Adienza" or "dell’Adensia" in the local dialect—is depicted in a posture of extreme benevolence and openness to listening to the faithful. The statue is notable for its artistic significance, particularly its plasticity.
The discovery of the statue and the transformation of the church into a Sanctuary
The marble statue of Maria SS. dell’Udienza, to which the people of Sambuca are deeply devoted, was discovered in 1575 by a Sambucan farmer in a gap within the Tower of Cellaro. It is said that the statue, originally belonging to private individuals, was first hidden among the crevices of the mountain between Sambuca and Sciacca, hence the name "Cava della Madonna" ("Madonna's Cave"). From the Tower of Cellaro, the statue was brought to the town on a cart drawn by two oxen, passing through Via Infermeria, where many plague victims were being treated. At the passage of the Madonna's image, the plague miraculously disappeared. It's also said that when they reached Via Pietro Caruso, right at the entrance of the Church of Carmine where we are now (which was then still dedicated to Saint Anthony the Abbot), the oxen stopped. This was interpreted as a divine sign that the Madonna's statue should be kept here. Following the miraculous healing from the plague, the Church of Saint Anthony became the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima dell’Udienza—officially recognized in 1949. It was decided that the statue would be carried in procession through the town's streets every year and that every ten years, the procession would pass through Via Infermeria.
The two souls of the Madonna dell’Udienza Festival, the most heartfelt celebration in Sambuca
The Feast of the Madonna dell’Udienza is a centuries-old tradition celebrated annually over eight days (the octave), culminating on the third Sunday of May. It includes both a secular and a religious celebration. The religious festivities occur in May—a month traditionally dedicated to the Madonna—over an entire week: the so-called "octave" (the eight days leading up to the third Sunday). This period is filled with celebrations both inside and outside the sanctuary. Inside the church, Holy Masses are celebrated, preceded and followed by the traditional Rosary recited and sung in the ancient Sicilian dialect of the time it was composed. On the church’s steps, the local band plays hymns dedicated to the Madonna until the parish priest, emerging from the sanctuary and followed by all the faithful, begins the evening "journey": the procession through the town's streets, conducted in an orderly manner with the recitation of the Rosary until the return to the sanctuary after about an hour. During the octave, the varied route of the procession is always frequented by people showing their devotion, even walking barefoot and carrying a lit candle. The octave culminates with the midnight fireworks on Saturday, while at dawn on Sunday, the fireworks of the "alborata" mark the awakening of a town in great fervor. The "Nudi"—so named after the confreres of the "Confraternity of Maria SS. Dell’Udienza," who once carried the Madonna’s statue barefoot on their shoulders—go to church to fulfill their specific task: carrying the statue of the Madonna dell’Udienza in procession. The "Nudi" number in the hundreds and are responsible for the "Scinnùta" (the descent of the statue from the high altar), its placement on the "vara" (the carriage) which happens from the early afternoon, and the "Nisciùta" (the exit of the statue from the church) amid hymns, prayers, and shouts of joy and glory, creating a deep emotional experience for the faithful. The procession begins immediately after the celebration of the solemn open-air Mass and the sermon of a preaching father. The "Nudi" will carry the statue through the town all night while the accompanying band must continue playing. They will only stop under the twelve "Corone" (which represent the districts of Sambuca and honor the Madonna with fireworks) to rest, have a bite to eat, drink water or other beverages, and then resume their arduous journey, arriving in front of the Sanctuary at dawn on Monday. Here, the "Trasùta" (the entrance) is staged—a sort of challenge between those who want to bring the statue back into the church and those who would like to keep it outside "under their own responsibility." After repeated ascent and descent from the church steps, with moments of real fear from the forceful pushes causing the statue to wobble, the Madonna finally "trasi" (enters) and will appear on the church steps around 11:00 for the final farewell to the faithful who have stayed to wait. The secular festivities are animated by a series of events such as parades of various bands, which in the past not only played on the church steps during evening functions and kept the various town districts entertained but also staged the so-called “musica al palco”: a sort of opera music festival where musical groups performed on a well-adorned stage next to the church, which is no longer present. In the last three days of the festival, long afternoons were filled with horse races on Corso Umberto I: the “Palio dell’Udienza” was a significant event throughout Sicily and attracted many enthusiasts from nearby towns and distant cities. The winning horse was regarded as a true champion. For Sambuca, the feast of the Udienza also became a time of economic activity for all commercial enterprises. Lavish lunches were enjoyed, all the town’s tailors and seamstresses were engaged in creating rich and colorful outfits displayed for the festival, and there were performances by folk groups, various exhibitions, and fairs such as those of "Minni di Virgini," a typical Sambucese sweet resembling the breasts of St. Agatha, among the hundred stalls on Corso Umberto filled with various goods: toys, chairs, cubbàita, càlia and simènza (local terms for various types of goods), peanuts, cotton candy, and all kinds of colorful stone jewelry and mirrors. Adding light and color to the festival, especially in the evening, is the beautiful and original “Venetian-style illumination” along Corso Umberto and on the façade of the Sanctuary.
The Venetian-style lighting for the Festival
The festival lighting for the Madonna was designed by Domenico Ferraro, a stucco artist who lived in Sambuca during the second half of the 19th century. Ferraro had the opportunity to become familiar with the Murano glassworks, particularly the colored “bocce” used for illumination, even before the advent of electric lighting. A skilled designer, he created the grand arches that make up the illuminated gallery along Corso Umberto I, as well as the “little trees” and “candelabras” placed between the arches. When he moved to America in the early 1900s, Ferraro continued to work on the festival's “Luminaria” from abroad, rallying the Sambucese community in America to raise funds. Around 1930, he designed the Entrance Portal for the luminaria and two Music Stages, entrusting their creation to Francesco Milillo, a skilled wood craftsman. The project was completed in 1932 with the construction of the Pavilion: a structure placed between the arches at the height of the Church of Santa Caterina, where the “Vara” (the processional carriage) rests before the start of the procession. After 120 years from the original creation, a group of volunteers led by architect Giuseppe Cacioppo restored the original design, bringing joy to the Sambucese community.
