• The Sanctuary of Materdomini


• The Prayers at the Sanctuary on the 15th August


• The food


• Songs and traditional dances

Among the various sanctuaries dedicate to the Virgin Mary in Italy, Santa Maria Materdomini in Nocera Superiore is definitely one of the better known. Tradition has it that in 1060, a local labourer had visions of the Madonna who appeared to him three times in his dreams, after which a painting of the Madonna with baby Jesus was found lodged between two sheets of marble, in a ruined building. The painting was then placed in a little temple in the sanctuary around the year 1060 and in 1061 Pope Niccolo’ II made a visit in order to bless the primitive little temple on his return journey from the Council of Melfi. From Medieval times onwards, historians have written about this little sanctuary which was dedicated to” Santa Maria della Fratta” and it is to this history that the origin of the fair which takes place on the 14th August is closely tied. The fair culminates at midnight on the turn of the day celebrating the ascension of the Madonna into heaven. Documents exist referring to the remote origins of these fairs which once were held in the courtyard of “ the limes”, named after the trees which surrounded the square, and these documents make reference to such events being held as early as 1366 when a certain P. Giacomo Fabiano D’Afragola mentions an act emanated by Govanna I, referring to the fair to be held on the 14th June of that year. This act gave permission for a double yearly fair and both Giovanni II and king Giacomo, in 1416, renewed the market license “in Festo B. Virginis de mense augusti” for the duration of 8 days in the areas called Camarelle and Zunczi ( possible the nearby Chiunzi of today)in the borough of Angri and neighbouring villages. On the 7th July 1443, the queen declared that the first fair should last from the 1st to 8th May and the second from the 7th of August to the celebration of the “Assunta” ( 15th August).