Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi - Cult and Pilgrimage

Cult and Pilgrimage

The origins of the cult at Polsi go back to well before the Medieval era, archaeologists today believe. They have found pinakes or votive clay artefacts manufactured in pre-Roman times by settlers from the nearby Hellenic colony of Locri, that indicate the existence of a female fertility cult associated with Persephone. After Christianity was introduced to Italy, Basilian monks founded a hermitage in the 7th century celebrating Greek rites in honour of the Madonna until the Roman Catholic Church expelled them and imposed the Latin rite in the late 15th century.

The pilgrimage to Polsi has ancient origins and is still very important. Worshipers from all over Calabria and Eastern Sicily come to honour the Madonna, a token of faith to pay at least once in one’s lifetime. This holds not only for the believer. Even unbelievers who come to Polsi feel as if they have set out beyond a “new frontier”. Worshipers come from June to November, but the numbers increase between 30 August and 2 September to over 50.000. Ever since venerated by the people of Aspromonte it has also been an important the migrants from Calabria and Messina.

Many elements date back to pagan rites from the ancient Magna Græcia culture, the bases of which are still evident in the soul and language of Calabria – older people in the villages around the sanctuary still speak Griko. Until not very long ago, when the statue of Our Lady was taken out in procession grain and flowers used to be thrown around it and this is considered one of the many pagan residues of the old cult of Demetra and Persephone, a symbol of the link between human fertility and that of the earth. The atmosphere is influenced by the primordial sacrifice of goats, whose meat is then cooked. The whole event is accompanied by wild performances of the tarantella, a local dance, which represent an ancient and universal way of honouring the divine being. Therefore pilgrims go to Polsi to pray, thank, ask for graces to be granted, but also to feel free, live the illusion, be together, dance, sing and eat goat.

During these last years church authorities have required several substantial changes in the religious practices and traditional devotions, in an attempt to level and normalize all manifestations of popular belief.