Feast of Our Lady of the Hens in Pagani

The Our Lady of the hens is one of the seven Madonnas of Campania linked to the Marian cult, called the “seven sisters”, and the celebration in her honor is certainly one of the most heartfelt by the people and one of the most beautiful, an event rich in folklore that every year attracts thousands of tourists to Pagani, in the province of Salerno.

According to legend, in the 16th century, during the eighth day of Easter, some chickens scratching the ground with their paws accidentally unearthed a small wooden table on which the Madonna del Carmelo was depicted.

Since it was found, in front of the table, which was preserved in the church of San Felice, eight miracles occurred.

The first in 1609, when a cripple who was napping near the church had a dream of the Madonna del Carmelo who told him to get up without crutches and walk, and so it was.
Since then, seven more miracles occurred, and it was decided to build a sanctuary to venerate that miraculous and merciful Madonna: the Sanctuary of the Our Lady of the hens.

That same Sanctuary still exists today with its Baroque façade dating back to the seventeenth century and its decorated interiors.

Inside one of the side chapels, the largest one, is the statue of the Madonna del Carmine hidden from the view of the faithful throughout the year until the day of the feast.

Every year from Easter Monday the doors of the sanctuary are closed and the workers begin to build what will be the cart where the statue of the Our Lady will be placed.

On Friday the doors are reopened and the faithful can finally see the statue after a year of waiting, at this moment the feast of the Our Lady of the hens begins.

On Easter Sunday, the eighth day of Easter, the procession through the streets of Pagani begins with thousands of faithful following the statue of the Our Lady of the hens among songs, dances and offerings.

If you look carefully, in some alleys of the city, pagan altars are set up, called toselli, with the image of the Our Lady accompanied by boxes filled with fruit or vegetables, tammorre, peasant tools and goodness of the culinary tradition of Campania.

In the evening, when the procession ends and the Our Lady returns, the celebration continues among the stalls of good food and the sound of the tammorre, which are placed by the tammorrari at the foot of the statue the following morning in front of the Sanctuary, a sign of submission and a rite that marks the end of the celebration of the Our Lady of the hens.
For more information: madonnadellegalline.org