1. VIGGIANO Progetto Socrates-Comenius Italia-Grecia-Francia-Polonia
Anno scolastico
Italia-Grecia-Francia-Polonia

2. THE COAT OF ARMS OF VIGGIANO

3. VIGGIANO: OUR SMALL TOWN
Viggiano is a Basilicata's small town, it's surrounded by mountains of the Appennino Lucano, situated in the thick one of the Volturino mountain, to the southern slopes of the Sant'Enoc mountain to 1023 m.s.ls. sea, it dominates the tall Valle dell' Agri ones with his castled historical center, done of ancient houses and of musicality "The town is not great, but no so small", Giosuè Carducci wrote to Pascoli, commissioner of examinations in 1884 to Viggiano, near the convitto Grammar school " S.Pellico " "The excellent air, picturesque outskirtses, the ruins of Grumentum to few footsteps; arpeggiamenti for everything, that they make of Viggiano the Antissa of Lucania."
Viggiano was born to valley of the actual center as villa of a Roman patrician family, Veius, Vibius or Vettius from which it also seems to have originated his name. During the Roman epoch it became Pagus of the city of Grumentum .Grumentum is situated to few kilometers of distance but in the X century his inhabitants moved to the tall part (the actual lived center) to escape the Saracen raids. Of the Medieval period there are few but important traces of the influence cultural Byzantine and Basiliano stay: aloft on the town, part of the side towers and a line of the boundaries of the ancient castle; in the attached church to the ex convent of the Francescanis there are the rests of an interesting wooden choir; in place Santa Barbara, on a tall cliff, the ruins of the church of S.Maria of the Stone and the wooden sculpture of the Black Madonna are found revered today still in the whole region.

4. It suffered the dominations of the varied feudal gentlemen, following the destiny of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilie before and of the Kingdom in Naples then. During the domination borbonica, Viggiano took part to the revolution against French gone down to the conquest of the kingdom in Naples; the retaliations of the winners were cruel: to the massacre of his defenders, forced to the surrender the 17 August of 1806, it followed to distance of a few days, the punishment of August 22, 57 young viggianesi were shot. The order was peremptory: every 100 inhabitants (then Viggiano counted 5669 of them) one had to pay with the life. The most flourishing and productive period was between the XVII and the XVIII century when the handicraft tradition of the wood was affirmed and particularly of the construction of musical tools: harp, flute and violin. In the same period fame was spread of the musician viggianese that was accustomed to wander for Italy and Europe; the temporary emigration became even more thick after the temporary emigration became even more thick after the 1857 earthquake that it saw many viggianesi go over the ocean. Many emigrated: teachers, builders and of the musicians as the famous performer of flute and teacher Leonardo De Lawrence. Currently Viggiano counts around 3200 inhabitants, it is a winter center equipped with fittings of gone up again footsteps and receptive equipments. To valley the industrial area is developed with the firms and the center for the hydrocarbons extraction recently built for the discovery of an important oil layer.

5. THE MADONNA'S DEVOTION
The Madonna of Viggiano is a wooden statue covered of gold by the dark color, in fact she is also said Black Madonna. The Madonna of Viggiano is a wooden statue covered of gold by the dark color, in fact Black " Madonna " is also said.
The legend tells that when the Saracens arrived in Basilicata some faithful ones to subtract the sacred image to the devastations, they brought her on a peak and it is not known for how much time has been left to you hidden. Around the year 1400, a night, some shepherds saw some lights that illuminated the peak and since the episode was repeated for more nights, they went to the place from which the lights originated, but they didn't find anything, then they started to look for, to dig and they found the superior part of the actual image.
Subsequently the Spaniards gave to her the position of session and they added her in womb her Child to similarity of their Madonna that is found in the sanctuary of Montserrat.
The countries of origin of that shepherds were: Viggiano, Marsicovetere and Calvello, therefore each of them wanted to have the privilege to bring in own country the sacred image. On the fact that the icon of the Madonna has been brought to Viggiano there are different versions: there is whoever it says that having been found in territory of Viggiano it was logical to bring her in town; there is whoever it sustains that the shepherds not succeeding in putting of accord they decided to build three doors each in direction of own country and to the center they put you the image and they left her so for a whole night, but the following morning they found the icon turned toward the part that pointed Viggiano. Since then She was revered and called Madonna of the Sacred Mountain of Viggiano. On the place of the recovery, a chapel was built for putting you the image for a certain period of the year; in fact the icon is brought in this chapel on first Sundays of May and she remains the whole summer where she is revered by a lot of pilgrims, which make three turns around the chapel before entering church. On first Sundays of September are brought in country accompanied, in solemn procession, from a crowd of pilgrims that singing and also dancing under the weight of the " belts " (castles built with wax candles, once very numerous and that today go as soon as disappear), they revere her as miraculous. Our Madonna was crowned Regina of the Lucania in 1882 and with the centenary advent of the crowning, the rite it is renewed with Pope Giovanni Paul II, in the Plain one of Tito in 1991.

6. The Madonna
The devotional “belt "  

7. VIGGIANO’S SANCTUARY

8. THE MADONNA OF VIGGIANO’S SANCTUARY

9. The Pontifical Basilica of Viggiano, named Santa Maria del Monte, is situated in the “Mura”, the historical centre and most panoramic place of the village. It was built when the Our Lady statue was found and the tradition of moving it from the mountain to Village in the period between September and May started. What we can admire today is not the original Sanctuary because it was destroyed by several earthquakes that are very usual in Lucania.
The Church exterior strikes the observer with the impressive facade: two flight of steps link the road level with the entrance, two side stained glass windows create decorative effects and make light dancing inside the Church, the clock in the fronton completes the whole. The bronze and pure gold portal is particularly valuable: it was sculptured by the Lucan artist Marco Santoro on the occasion of the last Pope Jubilee and it was inaugurated in 1999; it comprises six panels portraying episodes about the Sanctuary history: from the Our Lady Statue recovery to its coronation by Pope Giovanni Paolo II in April 1991.

10. The baroque interior of the Church rouses admiration in whoever enters it, for its rich stucco, marbles, canvas and pictures made more precious by the last restoration in The nave and the two aisles have got a roman caisson ceiling of pure gold. In the centre a Neapolitan canvas representing Our Lady of the Assumption in the sky together with the four Evangelists. The nave ends with an apse, the high altar and the wood and pure gold throne. On the apse there is the cupola rich in stucco and frescos with scenes of the Nativity and Jesus among the Doctors of the Church in the Temple.

11. In the right Chapel there is a very interesting Neapolitan canvas representing Our Lady of Viggiano among Saint Gianuario, patron of the Marsico diocese which Viggiano once belonged to, and Saint Gennaro, patron of the Neapolitan Reign.

12. Among the most important statues there are Saint Peter’s, copy of the more important statue situated in Vaticano.

13. Saint Prospero’s which stores the relics of the saint taken in the catacomb and presented to Viggiano

14. During the centuries, the sanctuary received several acknowledgments from the Ecclesiastical authorities. One of the most important was Pope Giovanni XXIII’s which gave the believers the right to satisfy the Easter duties in it until November 1st every year. Moreover Pope Paolo VI elevated it to the degree of Minor Basilica and approved of the Our Lady of the Holy Mountain Messa text. But the most valuable acknowledgment is undoubtfully the pilgrims mass that in thousands arrive to the Our Lady of Viggiano during then hole year, and not only on the occasion of the May and September Festivals, to implore pardon and grace and obtain peace and consolation.

15. CHURCH OF SAINT ANTHONY
The Church is a part of the Franciscan convent built in the XV century in the village periphery. Once it was named S. Maria del Gesù (Saint Mary of Jesus). It has only the nave and it isn?t very big but it has a very peculiar stone flight of steps. The last step leads to a large space with the altar and the sacristy. Under the Church there are underground caves once used as cemetery for the monks. In 1646 it was rebuilt as it was crumbling. Nowadays the altars dedicated to Saint Francis and Saint Clare

16. the flight of steps and the stone altar bases are what remains of the old Church.
In the XVIII century it was enriched by Holy Ornaments, statues and a chestnut-and-cypress-wood choir which nowadays are still perfectly preserved. Today the Church is little used except in the summer and in September on the occasion of Our Lady’s Feast. In the past it was opened during the feasts in honour of the Saints whose bodies are kept in it. During the last century, when Viggiano was the village of music, the Church was used for concerts. The musicians were people born in Viggiano who had widely travelled in all the world and the crowded audience was presented with some hours of magic by their art. The Church was ruined by the earthquake that occurred in It was closed and opened again in 1994 after a restoration that brought it to the ancient glory recovering the underground caves, too.

17. THE LITTLE CHURCH ON THE MOUNTAIN
The Church is at the mountain top, 1700 high. It is situated exactly in the place where the Our Lady’s Statue was found. It recovers the Our Lady’s Statue between May and September. The Church is halfway between sky and earth. From this peaceful oasis you can take in the whole valley at a glance to admire rocks, greenery, the lake, and the surrounding mountains

18. You can reach it climbing a slope that is particularly hard in some points. This allows the going up pilgrims to free themselves from the everyday cares and the going down pilgrims to receive peace in their hearts becoming ready to face the daily worries.
After the statue had been found, the Church was built using stones. Because of the severity of the weather, it frequently needs to be restored. Nevertheless, since the day of its building, the Church retains its simple structure and preserves the hole where the Holy Image was found. For centuries, during the summer, it has been a pilgrims destination. In the past it was kept open by a priest who had to say the rosary and the Mass everyday. A sacristan was with him to be present to the service and to close the Church late in the evening. On the occasion of the September Feast, four priests remained on the mountain to confess the pilgrims. Since then, it hasn’t changed so much. Even now the little Church is open the whole summer .

19. There are a lot of people, from Viggiano and from other places, who climb to the top to be present to the Mass under Our Lady’s lovely glance. There are a lot of pilgrims coming from the surrounding regions.
The most crowded period is the second half of August, when the emigrants come back to Viggiano for short holiday and never leave again without having said goodbye to their Protectress.

20. THE MADONNA TRANSPORTED Á
THE MADONNA TRANSPORTED Á. SHOULDER ON THE MOUNTAIN THE FIRST SUNDAY OF MAY   

21. THE PROCESSION OF SEPTEMBER   
THE MADONNA REENTERS IN TOWN THE FIRST SUNDAY OF SEPTEMBER   

22. REGARDS FROM THE TOWN OF THE MADONNA AND THE MUSIC