It was July 2, 1380 when Pope Urban VI established in Matera the feast of “the Visitation” now known as the “feast of the Madonna Bruna. But it is from the 16th century onward that the feast takes on its pagan nature as it has been passed down to the present day.
The highlight of the celebrations is on July 2 with the assault on the triumphal Cart that carries the Madonna, made of papier-mâché. In fact, this “sacrilege” occurs immediately after the statue of the Madonna has been brought into the cathedral. It is then that the people seize some of the elements that adorn the cart.
Every year the ritual is repeated and every year, the papier-mâché artisans of Matera, excel in making the triumphal cart which is shown to the public on the day of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), the date when the celebrations in honor of the protector of the city of the “Sassi” begin.
![](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fulltravel.it%2Fnl%2Fguide%2Ffesta-della-bruna-a-matera-2%2F&media=
https://www.fulltravel.it/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Strazzo-del-Carro-di-Matera-durante-la-Festa-della-Bruna.jpg &description=Era il 2 luglio del 1380 quando Papa Urbano VI istituisce a Matera la festa de "la Visitazione" oggi conosciuta come la "festa della Madonna Bruna. Ma è dal XVI secolo in poi che la festa si veste della sua natura pagana così come è stata tramandata fino ai giorni nostri.){kind=link}