Bishop Fragnelli attends Tunisia celebration of Madonna di Trapani

Last Updated: August 29, 2023

The celebration of the Madonna di Trapani will take place this year on August 15th in the parish of Saints Agostino and Fedele in La Goulette, a small enclave in the port of Tunis that was once inhabited by a large Sicilian community. The community imported and spread the cult of the Madonna di Trapani in Tunisia. Two copies of the wonderful image attributed to Nino Pisano are still preserved: one in the Cathedral in Tunis and another in La Goulette, where a large procession was held that reached the sea and united not only Christian but also Islamic believers. The procession was interrupted during the time of President Bourghiba, but the memory and faith have not faded and are now mainly animated by African Christians. The tradition resumed in 2017, albeit in a reduced manner, and continues to attract residents and visitors. This year, the Archbishop of Tunis Ilario Antoniazzi has invited the Bishop of Trapani to preside over the Eucharistic celebration in La Goulette on August 15th. The Bishop speaks about the journey of the Virgin from Sicily to Tunisia with Sicilian fishermen who brought a copy of the statue from the Sanctuary of Trapani on their boat. The celebration of the Madonna di Trapani will also take place in Casablanca, Morocco, in the Italian Church of Cristo Re, where another copy of the marble image is preserved. The cult of the Madonna di Trapani is widespread in many Italian and Mediterranean cities.