Festa della Madonna dell’Incoronata (Feast of Our Lady of the Crown)

Santa Croce di Magliano celebrates once again the Festa della Madonna dell’Incoronata, a tradition weaving profound Marian devotion, ancient transhumance heritage, and the awakening of spring. The beating heart of the festival is the traditional blessing of animals, a touching symbol of harmony between humanity and the rural world. The day comes alive with a colorful procession winding through the village streets, featuring children carrying their small pets alongside flocks of sheep, goats, oxen, and horses marching to the rhythmic clatter of cowbells. In the parade, horse riders wear the iconic braided cheese across their shoulders, while the mysterious Scarciacappa—a masked character walking with two oxen and an upturned plow—symbolizes the passage from winter to springtime renewal. Alongside devotional ceremonies, the festival offers lively conviviality, musical performances, and folk entertainment. Visitors should not miss tasting the treccia, a stretched-curd cheese ritually broken and shared among attendees as a gesture of prosperity and community spirit.