Blessed Mary of the Visitation is one of the names with which the Catholic Church venerates Mary, the mother of Jesus, woman who brings grace for

excellence that is Christ, and goes to visit her cousin, St. Elizabeth. Liturgically by the Church, this feast is commemorated on May 31 but at Enna is remained the oldest date of July, 2.

In honor of Our Lady of the Visitation patron of the city of Enna, was erected the Cathedral of Enna, a colleague of great artistic value.

On July 2, is the day more festive and happy, just because, well known is the Feast of Our Lady of the Visitation, which is celebrated there; on this date, hundreds of thousands of faithful and tourists throng the streets of the center town to watch the procession of the statue of Our Lady bejeweled with gold and precious stones belonging to the treasury of the Cathedral of Enna kept in the Alessi Museum of Enna.

 

During the celebrations, the simulacrum is carried on the shoulders of over a hundred men barefooted, known as "the nudes", from the Duomo, located in the eastern part of the city, to the "Church of Montesalvo", locted in the west part of the city. The procession stops in many squares, where are exploded gun salutes, the so-called "sarbiate"; when the simulacrum arrives to Montesalvo, from the homonymous church ran out the statues of St. Zachary and St. Elizabeth, that meet the Madonna. Immediately starts cannon shots and when the simularum enters into the church, the fireworks start, in a charming and festive setting.

About the Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation in Enna, it is probable that began when the statue was bought in Venice and brought up to the plateau which overlooks the city; there came a quarrel between the inhabitants of nearby Calascibetta and those of Enna on who should have kept the statue. So legend says that it was assigned to the flight of a dove, which, lying down on the imposing facade of the Cathedral of Enna, assigned the statue of Our Lady of the Visitation to the city of Enna. Another legend says that the wagon bearing the sacred image of Holy Mary, drawn by two white horses, when he was at the foot of the mountain, suddenly became very heavy, so that nothing and no one could carry it. The reapers came from the countryside (because it was time to harvest), the so-called "nudes", which effortlessly managed to bring the sacred image to the Catheral. This would mean for Enna, that Virgin uses most simple and humble people; that's why always have the farmers to bring barefooted Our Lady of Enna, handed down from father to son.

Source Wikipedia