Feast of the Madonna

The Madonna dell'Angelo is the patron saint of Caorle's fishermen, and her feast is one of the most heartfelt in town, not only for the locals but for the thousands of people who come for the occasion. The heart of the devotion is the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Angelo, the small white church at the tip of the seafront, where according to tradition the waves carried the statue of the Virgin ashore.

The July feast and the burning of the bell tower

Every year, on the second weekend of July, the statue of the Madonna is carried in an evening procession from the sanctuary to the Cathedral and back again, among lights and fireworks. The most awaited moment is the "burning" of the bell tower: with fireworks the sanctuary's bell tower seems to catch fire and lights up over the sea, a show that draws crowds to the beach and the breakwater.

The procession at sea, every five years

Every five years, on the second Sunday of September, the great procession at sea takes place. It is preceded by a celebration on land, in daylight, unlike the evening processions in July. The statue of the Madonna leaves the fishing port on a decorated boat, escorted by the fishermen's boats, crosses the canals of the old town, goes out to sea and returns to the sanctuary, retracing the ancient legend according to which, in the 6th century, during the iconoclast struggle, the statue came from the sea right where the little white church stands today. Until the 1990s a caorlina boat called the bissona came from Venice for the occasion. When the wind is too strong, for safety the procession does not go out to sea and only follows the inner canals, as happened in 2015.

From 25 years to 5: the history

The fishermen's feast has very ancient origins, but its present form dates back to the 20th century. Until the 1950s the procession at sea was held every 25 years. In 1955 the Patriarch of Venice Angelo Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII, was so moved by it that he proposed holding it every five years, and the people of Caorle accepted. In 1975 it was led by Patriarch Albino Luciani, later elected Pope John Paul I: that is why in Caorle they say the Madonnina dell'Angelo brings luck to future popes.

Dates and programme of each edition are published in the Events section.