Wednesday, December 8, 2010

8 December: the Christmas Festivities start

Madonna dell'Immacolata



Today is the feast of the 'Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary', and Rome is the ideal city to celebrate this very important event for the Catholic Church .


It has become tradition that the Pope give evidence at the foot of the Immaculate Monument, a statue of the Madonna placed on top of a column in Piazza Mignanelli , an extension of the Spanish Steps, with a basket of white roses. Then the Pope read some passages of the Scripture, blesses the statue of the Virgin and goes to visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore .

This practice has started during the 50s under the pontificate of Pius XII.

This day symbolises the beginning of the Christmas Festivities and Rome to celebrate this events has decided to give free access to the Coliseum and the Roman Museums.





Coliseum by Simona Albanese

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