Every year on August 17th, Portovenere celebrates its patron saint with the spectacular Festa della Madonna Bianca (Madonna Bianca’s Day).
The entire seaside village is illuminated with over 2000 candle lights, torches, and lanterns, while the sea glows thanks to the boats that gather at dusk beneath the church of San Pietro and in Byron’s cave.
A picturesque evening procession winds through the brightly lit ancient village, creating a unique and emotionally stirring spectacle. The Festa della Madonna Bianca in Portovenere has very ancient origins. The religious veneration of the Madonna Bianca (the White Virgin Mary) is tied to a miracle that occurred in 1399, during the period of French occupation, when Portovenere was devastated by the plague.
It is said that on the evening of August 16th, a local named Luciardo was praying at home in front of some Marian images when, suddenly, a faded parchment depicting the Madonna and Child began to regain its color. It is said that this parchment had arrived in Portovenere by sea in 1204, enclosed in a cedar trunk from Lebanon, which can still be seen today in the church of San Lorenzo along with the miraculous painting. According to contemporary chronicles, the transformation lasted a few hours, and notary Giovanni Michele di Vernazza recorded a detailed account of the event, also signed by sixty eyewitnesses.
Staying at Downtown Blue Apartment, you will have the opportunity to reach the village of Portovenere in just twenty minutes by bus and witness a very fascinating spectacle, something to see at least once in your life.