The Immaculate Madonna in Fiumfreddo di Sicilia
The devotion to the Immaculate Madonna in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia dates back to the end of the nineteenth century, the years in which a miraculous event occurred.
It is said that a certain Francesco De Maria was looking for spring water to irrigate the fields but that his repeated attempts were unsuccessful. The Madonna appeared to him in a dream and encouraged him to continue his research: this was how a spring was found in the Feudogrande area. To thank the Madonna, one donated a statue of the Virgin to the church which was carried in procession to the source.
A second miracle occurred a few years later: a strong storm caused the waters of a stream to swell and put the the life of some men who worked on the underground water tunnel which had been found thanks to the intervention of the Madonna. It was then that the people united in prayer, invoking the Immaculate Virgin, and that the waters diverted their path.
On the facade of the Church of Maria SS. Immaculate in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia there are bas-reliefs that describe these miraculous events.
