Walkings, tastings and shows to celebrate one of the symbols of local gastronomy.
In Massa Lubrense we are preparing to host the lemon festival “Limoni in festa”, two days of good cuisine and traditions promoted by the association Pro Loco Massa Lubrense with the patronage and the city’s contribution: the appointment is for Saturday 9th and Sunday 10thof July, in Largo Vescovado. Now in its 46th edition, the event returns after two years of stop imposed by the pandemic.
The traditional “agropasseggiata” will open the program, on July 9 at 9 am. It is a walk on paths and alleys of the old town, among olive and lemon groves. In the evening, at 6:30 pm, the town center will come alive with the opening of the stands of crafts and typical products and the lemon tasting itinerary.
There will be shows: on Saturday at 9 pm the actor Gino Rivieccio will propose to the public his show ‘Da cosa nasce cosa’, while on Sunday at 9 pm the musical group ‘La Maschera’ will perform in the concert ‘Sotto chi tene core’. “We couldn’t wait to organize our festival again – observes Anna Teresa Pappalardo, president of Pro Loco Massa Lubrense – I thank all those working for its realization with renewed enthusiasm, waiting to be all together in the square”.
“The festival returns after two years of stop – emphasizes Antonino Esposito, managing director Agriculture of Massa Lubrense – with the aim of enhancing an extraordinary product such as the lemon of Massa Lubrense, the ‘femminiello’: oval, with a juicy straw-yellow pulp, a concentrate of vitamin C and mineral salts, with a skin rich in essential oils.”
The lemon festival is part of the frame of ‘Omaggio alla bellezza’, the cycle of summer events promoted by the city administration of Massa Lubrense: “With this review – concludes Giovanna Staiano, Councillor for Tourism Massa Lubrense – we have given rise to several initiatives for tourists and residents, which lead to the discovery and enhancement of our extraordinary land.”
“Massa Lubrense Expo… ne” is the local handicraft and agriculture fair held in Sant’Agata sui due golfi (Massa Lubrense) from 17 to 19 December 2021
A charming traditional market lined with wooden chalets, beautifully decorated and filled with unique gifts, handicrafts, local produce and tantalizing culinary delights.
The atmosphere is enlivened by street performers and traveling music. At lunch and dinner it is possible to taste the dishes prepared by the local restaurants association.
In one of the chalets, Santa Claus is waiting for all the children who want to personally deliver their letter to him.
The 2020 carnival of Termini (Massa Lubrense): times, dates, parade program and all useful information.
The Cultural Association Termini non solo Carnevale has organized for this year a Carnival full of music, colors and joy.
The Carnival in Termini kicks off on Sunday 23 February and until Sunday 1 March Termini will be invaded by the colors of the Carnival masks and parades of allegorical floats for what is one of the most characteristic carnivals of the Sorrento Peninsula.
The full program of the Carnival in Termini 2020 is on the poster.
Limoni in festa 2018 – Massa Lubrense Lemon Festival
The highlight event of the summer of Massa Lubrense. An excellent opportunity to taste many delicacies of the cuisine of Massa Lubrense based on the typical citrus that gives the name to the festival: our oval lemon called “femminiello”.
A series of events taking place in the city center, following the flavors of dishes with lemon scent, the sounds of popular music, the rediscovery of the oldest buildings, the streets, the typical corners.
Program
Friday, 13 July 2018
6.30am – 11.00pm Market with typical products and local crafts
8.30pm Concert “Divenendo Live” by Marco Mariconda and Le Sequenze
Saturday 14 July 2018
10.30am – 11.00pm Market with typical products and local craftsmanship
5.00pm Guided walking Massa center – Annunziata – Marina Lobra
7.00pm – 11.00pm Gastronomic itinerary based on lemons
9.00 pm Concert Mujeres Creando – Special Guest: Enzo Gragnaniello with Piero Gallo
Sunday 15 July 2018
10.30am – 11.00pm Market with typical products and local craftsmanship
7.00pm – 11.00pm Gastronomic itinerary based on lemons
9.00 pm “Parco Sofia Tour” concert of La Maschera
Location
Largo Vescovado, 80061 Massa Lubrense, Naples, Italy
The main event of the summer in Massa Lubrense, an excellent opportunity to taste many delicacies of the local cuisine based on the typical citrus fruit that gives its name to the festival: the oval lemon said “femminiello”.
A series of activities that take place in the city center, in a lemon-scented atmosphere, enjoying the sound of folk music, rediscovering local crafts and art inspired by our land.
Program
Friday, July 28, 2017
6.30pm – 11.00pm Street market with typical products and local crafts
7.00pm Opening of the art exhibition “Massa incontra l’arte”
8.30pm “Le Loving” in concert: three sopranos directed by Maestro Antonello Cascone
Saturday, July 29, 2017
10.30am – 11.00pm Street market with typical products and local crafts
10.30am – 11.00pm Art exhibition “Massa incontra l’arte”
7.00pm – 11.00pm Lemon gastronomic tour
8.30pm “Discede” and “Taranta Power” in concert: folk music from past to present. Special guest: Eugenio Bennato
Sunday, July 30, 2017
10.30am – 11.00pm Street market with typical products and local crafts
10.30am – 11.00pm Art exhibition “Massa incontra l’arte”
7.00pm – 11.00pm Lemon gastronomic tour
8.30pm The tenor Carmine De Domenico in Passione Napoletana concert
Location
Largo Vescovado, 80061 Massa Lubrense, Province of Naples, Italy
The conservatory of the most holy Rosary rises in the heart of the Monticchio’s Village, one of the eighteen typical villages of Massa Lubrense. Monticchio is located in a very wide valley on the west side of S.Maria della Neve . The square of the village, where the most important church consecrated to S.Pietro rises, is located at 315 meters above sea level. The Village, however, it extends up on the hill, even more then 350 meters. We have knowledge of Monticchio from 1221, when the old church of S. Pietro was founded. In the 1489 it was named “ Monditio”, and it counted no more then 179 inhabitants. The village of Monticchio takes its name from its position, up on a mound. There are fountains, gardens and hunting place of Focetole and Turdi.
The Cloister of Monticchio
The foundation of the Conservatory was strongly wanted By Cristina Olivieri, a young and devout Neapolitan women, who since 1707 used to spend her holydays in the village of Monticchio, guested by the Tizzano’s family. During this time she worked so much to pick up the money nedded for the construction of the cloister. Once she did it, sister Cristina bought two small areas near the local church, and after she got the approval of the bishop De Rossi in 1723, she invited the priest of Monticchio to bless the first stone. This event raised a general discontent between the citizens of Massa Lubrense, already harassed by the privileges of the Religious Corporations. In fact between the 16th and the 17th century, there was a great expansion f the religious cult and the sacred buildings add up to as many as 100. The religious multiplied. At the beginning of the 18th century, thanks to the several acts of mercy, which have happened over the past two decades, the churches, the chapels, the monasteries and the abbeys, they owned almost the entire territory of Massa Lubrense. The city ended with a wealthy class made up of religious and a poor one, which included the rest of the citizens. The people of Massa Lubrense were forced to resort to the holy Roman Congregation and to the Viceroy of Naples, in order to protest against the construction of the new cloister. Sister Cristina Olivieri, to bypass such demands, she declared that those factories were built as a private use. The protest and the objections of the citizens and the defense of the founder they continued for several years, in the meantime the construction of the building, it kept. In the 1746 the Conservatory was finished and inhabited by nuns. Attached to the cloister there is a church name after S. Maria del Rosario and both the buildings they belong to the order of S. Domenico.
Ignazio Chiaiese
The Co. founder of the complex was Ignazio Chiaiese, a great artist of the Neapolitan earthenware in the 18th century, who belong to one of the most important dynasties operating in this type of art in the city of Naples between the end of the 17th century and the 18th century. Also the tiles of the Congregation in the Cathedral of Sorrento, and the decorated wall still visible in the yard of Palazzo Correale, are attributable to this factory. Ignazio Chiaiese was the son of Leonardo, author of the floor “ The Expulsion from the Garden”, in Ancapri. He arrived in Monticchio on behalf of his aunt, who a few weeks before, she had brought her daughter to the cloister. She regretted and she asked him to help her. She asked him to get to the cloister , free her daughter and bring her home. The legend says that Ignazio Chiaiese, once he was at the presence of Sister Cristina Olivieri, was fascinated by the women with the blind eyes, in which he saw the heavenly light of the conversion. Sister Cristina told him to be the man of the providence, sent by the Lord to help her in the construction of the cloister, and so he did. He also became one of its biggest donors. In fact he picked up several donations between the local wealthy families. Mastr’Ignazio, like he was called, he embellished the inside areas of the cloister and of the church using the art of the “tile”.
The cloister in particular holds a panel of tiles in baroque style, in which the author represents himself, penitent at the foot of the Virgin, single example of self-portrait known with this technique. The frame, also in baroque style, is painted on the same level of the represented scene. The author represents himself on his knee, penitent at the foot of the Virgin, depicted in the center of the composition, with a spear in her hand. The Virgin targets with her sword a quietly sitting dragon. Ignazio is linked to the dragon through some chains which are nearly cracked. The chains symbolize the sins. He is free from the chains of sin but he stays on his knee because he actually wants to stay sinner
For the first time the Virgin is represented armed, holding a spear. The Madonna in fact she is never a punisher. She is always represented as a “Mother full of Grace”.
On either side of the main panel there are two more paints on tiles.
The one on the left side represent a sleeper St. Joseph and the angel Gabriel who appears in his dream. Next to St. Joseph there is a flower stick, sign of the divine choice. The panel on the right side instead, it represents St. Francis likewise sleeper. The Saint sleep while a storm is taking place and a galleon is floundering. The vessel is like the one used by the Saracen pirates, which in 1558 fiercely invaded Massa Lubrense and Sorrento. The “sinking” is an allegory which means the storm of the soul. Everyone in his life get through a storm and to get over it, we have to abandon everything is force and rely on God. The force is symbolized by the sword painted on the bottom right of the composition.
Church of the Most Holy Rosary
The church has a 17th century facade accessed by a staircase with two semicircular ramps. The inside is baroque, with an elegant architecture and decoration. The layout is a Greek Cross with very shorts arms and is underneath by a lowered cup with a torch. The construction of the church had already started in 1746, as shown Mons. Pisani who in that year, he visited the cloister which was just finished. The church instead, was finished in 1762, a date which is legible on the floor and on the pipe organ. The floor full completely covered by tiles, is gorgeous, and it was also made by Ignazio Chiaiese. The paint is dominated by a big star which symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The overlying dome perfectly match with the symbolic representation painted on the floor. On the longest rays of the star we can admire garlands of flowers. On the tiles on the sides of the High Altar, are painted four peacocks, each one in a different position, below which we found the ossuaries. All the flooring is characterized by flowers paints which most likely were chosen to remind the outside garden of the cloister. In the middle of the High Altar, we found a framework of the” Blessed Virgin of the Rosary”, and on the sides we can admire the “Dinner in Emaus” and the “Adoration of the Magi”. The technique used for the creation of the paints is the one which is characterized by the play of lights and shadows. This kind of technique was typical of the Neapolitan School in that period. In the framework of the “Last Supper”, the Apostles are represented all at the same side. There is no emphasis of the one who sinned. This kind of representation was used for the very first time by Leonardo Da Vinci to realize his paint of the “Last Supper”, exposed in the Sistine Chapel. “The Adoration of the Magi” is from the Baroque.
There are twoprocessionsof the dead Christtaking place inMassa Lubrense on Good Friday: one in Massa centro and one in Torca.
Arciconfraternita della Morte e Orazione – Massa Centro
Good Friday Route: Chiesa S. Maria delle Grazie, Largo Vescovado, Via Palma, Via Roma, Via Rivo a Casa, Via IV Novembre, Piazza Marconi, Via Rachione, Via Mortella, Rotabile Massa Turro. Viale Filangieri, Largo Vescovado,Via Mortella, Rotabile Massa Turro, Viale Filangieri, Largo Vescovado, Chiesa S. Maria delle Grazie.
“The processionof the dead Christ – ConfraternityDeath and Prayer of Massa Lubrense“ Dramaticand symbolicrepresentationof the passion anddeath of Christhaving acartharticvalue, the processionof the dead Christ, which runseveryGood Friday through thestreets ofMassa Lubrense, isa directsubsidiary ofsimilarmedieval representations, enrichedandsupplemented bythe tasteof thetheatricalthat the Spanishbroughtin ourEasterreligious traditionandthatbecame evidentespeciallyin the exhibitionofinstruments linkedto the passionof Christ.
The Jesuitsgavethe biggestimpetus to thepious practiceof the processionof the dead Christ, and yet, althoughthe city ofMassa Lubrense had a great and powerfulCollegeof that order, no sign, no descriptionof the marchseemsto have remained.
By the lawyer. Cuomo, historian emeritusof ourlocal reality, we learn that“toward the 1910-12the Processionof the “Dead Christ“beganto beorganizedinMassa Lubrense(the statue was purchasedby the administrationof the ChurchCathedral), but theConfraternity of the Rosaryof the Annunciationused to participatewith its owndress,usedfor the funeralof the confreres(white coat, blackcapes, andwhite cap). Withthe passing of time,thisprocessionwentslowlydegrading; untilin 1971, whenthe traditionwasrenewed:withallblacksclothes, innovatingpathandfurnishings. “
Since 1995,the processionis no longerorganized by the parishformerCathedral ofSanta Maria delle Grazie, buttherebornConfraternityDeath and Prayer. Itstarts from theformerCathedraljust after sunset, by torchlight, in order andstrictsilence.
Confraternita San Filippo Neri – Torca
Good Friday Route: Chiesa Parrocchiale San Tommaso Apostolo, Piazza San Tommaso Apostolo, via Botteghe di Sopra, via Torricella, Via Croce, Via Reola, via Regina Margherita (fino al bivio con Acquara), ritorno lungo via Regina Margherita, via Reola, Doppio Corso, Via Deserto, Piazza Sant’Agata, Corso Sant’Agata, Via Croce, Via Torricella, Piazza San Tommaso Apostolo, Chiesa Parrocchiale San Tommaso Apostolo.
“The processionof the dead Christ – ConfraternitySan Filippo Neri of Torca” TheConfraternity of St.FilippoNeri, thewesternmostof the Sorrento peninsula, organizesa processionduring Holy Week, and properlyon Good Fridayevening. This initiativeis due to theold parish priestMollowho promotedfavoring itwitha statueof the dead Christinpapier mache.
The wearof time(maybe even a littlecarelessness) suggested to replacethe statuewith anotherin wood, that the currentparish priest, DonMarioCafiero, realizedwith the contributionof the local people. Like all othersimilarrites, thisprocessionbeginsat dusk, but features itspeculiarities: it is opened by“Catholic children” of the parishwiththeir “pennant”, followedby the Associationsof Catholic Action (youth and women) andthenby the Confraternity,inblack habit. The brotherscarry in procession the‘torment‘ and ‘lamps‘.
The final partof the processionis made up ofa group ofboys whocarry on their shouldersthe“cross”, the statueof the Dead Christ(adorned withlightsand flowers), the musical band,a choirofchildren and young peopleand, finally,theveneratedstatue ofOur Lady of Sorrows(alsoadorned with flowersand lights), followed bya large group ofwomeninprayers.
This processionof the Confraternityof San FilippoNerihas notthe chorusof“Miserere”, butin its placehas thechildren’s choir, singingthe hymn “At Calvary“, in the same textof the Confraternityof the Crucifix ofMeta, whichso begins:
Del Calvario sull’erta pendice Il Dator della vita s’immola Col suo sangue dell’Uomo infelice Ei cancella la colpa fatal A raccogliere l’estrema parola Del Suo figlio morente una madre Resta immota tra barbare squadre Come vinta da colpo fatal.
The procession reachestheneighboringhamlets of Pastenaand S.Agata, inwhichchurches, amongdevoutmasses ofcrowds, the priestplays anappropriatespeech, thenreturningtoTorcawhere, amongthegeneral commotion, the participantsand the peoplekissthe Madonna’s mantle and the statueof the Dead Christ, at the conclusionof theirpenitential riteandashopefor the feast ofEaster Sunday.
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