Stopping for Saints: Religious Procession in Testaccio

We came back from Castel Gandolfo sunburned and satisfied.

Slowly, slowly, we walked back from the metro and towards home.

Then we heard the music.

Religious procession testaccio

Tomorrow is a ponte – a bridge.  That is the day off you take between the weekend and the actual holiday, which is on Tuesday.  So it is a kind of jerry-rigged four day weekend and there are plenty of people everywhere.

This, however, was not about the first long weekend of summer.  It was about Testaccio.

Testaccio Rome Parade

It was about life on a Sunday in a changing neighborhood in Italy.

But not so changed that anyone would dream of forgoing a procession for the patron saint.

Holy Mary Procession in Testaccio

“Brava!,” he yelled when I took a photo.  Proud. Proud of this neighborhood, and of this responsibility, to carry Mary through the streets.

Religious procession in Rome

“Evviva!” The crowd yelled and cheered.

Virgin Mary streets of Rome

The children waved.  The neighbors hung Ave Maria banners out their windows.

parade TestaccioWe stopped and joined for awhile, and then continued home.  Still sunburnt and more than satisfied than ever with our little corner of the world.

 

One thought on “Stopping for Saints: Religious Procession in Testaccio

  1. Lucy @ La Lingua says:

    Love it! The number of customs and traditional festivals still upheld in Italy make me so happy and proud to be a part of this country (kind of? I’m here half the time.. haha). It reminds me a little of the celebrations for Sant’Agata in Catania that I went to see last year. Hopefully be coming to Rome soon too so will have to have a peruse through your archives woop 🙂 xxx
    Lucy @ La Lingua Italy

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