Crotone, May 2026 – There is a centuries-old and deeply rooted cult that runs through the veins of every person from Crotone: devotion toward the Virgin of Capo Colonna. It is on the very promontory of Capo Colonna where, many centuries later, the venerated Byzantine Icon of the Black Madonna was miraculously saved in 1519, and it is here that Her Sanctuary stands today. The salvation of the city during the 1832 earthquake is also attributed to the protection of the Madonna of Capo Colonna.
It is a sacred promontory, and reaching it in procession to then return to the city represents a pilgrimage that takes place at night to arrive at dawn—almost a journey from darkness toward the Light.
On behalf of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, Antonio Oliverio, Knight of Grace and Representative for the city of Crotone, Maria Pia Galasso, Dame of Merit, and Vito Michele De Caro, Knight of Merit (also present in his capacity as president of the National Association of Italian Sailors), took part in the pilgrimage of the “return” of the Madonna of Capo Colonna. This year 2026 is an important one: as it marks the septennial of the Marian celebrations, the so-called “Large Painting”—the richly decorated original Byzantine Icon—was carried in procession instead of the smaller and more recent icon, the “Quadricello”.
The path from the promontory of Capo Colonna wound along the coast amid prayers, traditional floral tributes, and messages dropped from balconies as the Madonna passed by. In a Piazza Pitagora overflowing with pilgrims and faithful, the Archbishop of Crotone – Santa Severina, H.E.R. Monsignor Alberto Torriani, imparted the Apostolic Blessing to all, preceded by an intense and heartfelt message of hope and love for the Virgin and for all Humanity in this confused era. Heartfelt thanks were extended by the Constantinian Representation to Monsignor Pancrazio Limina, president of the Cathedral Chapter of Crotone, for once again inviting the Constantinian Delegation to take part in these solemn moments of devotion.
