Church of Our Lady of Good Help

The original church of Our Lady of Succour is the city’s Mother Church, probably the oldest in Sciacca, with its architectural structure typical of the Renaissance period. It is formed by three Arab-Norman style apses and two Gothic arch portals, and inside preserves the statue of Our Lady of Succour, the Patron Saint of Sciacca. According to historical accounts, this statue was found in the sea while the city was gripped by the plague. However, on the 1st of February 1626 the entire population started a pilgrimage, called “U Vutu”, from the Church of Saint Augustine to the Mother Church and on the following day the statue of the Madonna joined the pilgrimage, carried by a large group of seamen. On arriving in the Piccolo Maestranza area, a flash of lightening fell from the sky and hit the Madonna’s feet and at that exact moment a cloud of smoke was released that spread across the whole city and all the citizens of Sciacca recovered from the plague. As a result Our Lady of Succour became the Patron Saint of Sciacca and twice a year, on the 2nd of February and the 15th of August, a festival is celebrated in her honour.