The feast of St. Roch of Gioiosa Ionica

In the fragrant Riviera dei Gelsomini, we encounter the cult of St. Rocco of Gioiosa Ionica. Adding to the deep devotion to St. Rocco of Gioiosa Ionica is the particular prodigy of the "sweating statue," which was interceded in aid of the population during the 1852 earthquake. The Church of San Rocco, in the historic center, houses the miraculous effigy, which apparently arrived here in the 1700s aboard a sailing ship from Naples, which is why every year, during the feast of San Rocco in Gioiosa Ionica, it is customary to hang small boats and paper sailboats from balcony to balcony. The feast lasts 9 days (novena) and ends on August 16, the "Jornàta" (Day) around which all local folklore revolves: the chants of the faithful accompany the statue in procession on a silk canopy, with votive candles and relics, for at least 6 hours. The most folkloric element concerns the presence of the "tamburinàri," who beat the rhythm of the procession and the "votive dance" to the incessant sound of large drums.