Starting from today, March 22nd, at Branciforte Palace in Palermo, the video titled “I Triunfi,” directed by Salvo Cuccia, will be continuously screened. It depicts the traditional ascent to Mount Pellegrino (referred to as “acchianata” in Sicilian dialect), which faithful individuals undertake as a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia, the city’s patron saint, and which is celebrated annually on July 14th.
The video will feature footage captured in infrared during the nights from September 3rd to 7th, 2001, documenting the traditional “acchianata” as a tribute to the beloved “Santuzza” (as the people of Palermo affectionately call Saint Rosalia).
“I Triunfi”: a people on a journey paying homage to the “Santuzza”
“I Triunfi” of Palermo represents a historical document of great visual impact and is a testament to the devotion of the people of Palermo towards their patron saint, who, according to legend, saved them from the plague in 1625.
The video, part of the “Rosalia400” project, is promoted by the Sicilia Foundation, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the remains of Saint Rosalia on Mount Pellegrino.
In the video, the faces and silhouettes of the people of Palermo paying homage to the “Santuzza” flow past in an epiphany of bodies, voices, echoes, and footsteps.
In the video, like ectoplasms fading into the darkness of the night, the numerous devotees who pilgrimage to Mount Pellegrino each year appear and manifest, showcasing an entire people walking together to honor their patron saint, creating the sensation of witnessing a true living theater.
“It’s a people searching for something in the darkness,” comments Salvo Cuccia. “And in this continuous and compulsive movement, joy and drama merge. The voices become a chorus, and at irregular intervals, one voice stands out – it’s Santina’s voice, a former prostitute who, in those years, lived in a trailer at the foot of Mount Pellegrino.
Her utterance is not a prayer but a lament; it’s a tirade against politicians; it’s the story of her life, her illness, and her economic and mental condition.
Her lament is the eternal lament of a city and a people, encapsulating what Palermo is and embodying it entirely,” concludes the director.
Hence, the title of the video originates: “I Triunfi,” because, drawing from tradition, these voices transform into a song, albeit in a different manner.
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The Palermo Policlinic is involved in the Elisah European project.