### ASSUMPTION
The Virgin carried into heaven by Angels. Francesco Nagni — Rome, at the author’s.
The texts concerning this subject, which regarded Mary in her capacity as Mother of God, were numerous. However, in the 6th century, it was believed that the latter church was the site of the Madonna’s tomb, and it is probable that the apocryphal narratives about Mary’s death contributed to transforming the Jerusalemite celebration of August 15 into a feast of the Madonna’s death. This is now the most widely accepted hypothesis. It seems that Emperor Maurice (582–602) ordered that the feast of the solemnity, *Dormitio* of Mary, be celebrated throughout the empire; indeed, from that time onward, it became very popular. The Byzantines precede the feast with a 15-day fast, dating back to the time of Theodore the Studite (826); among the Armenians, after Mass, the celebrant blesses, at the foot of the altar, bunches of grapes, which are then distributed to the faithful.
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#### b) In the West
The feast of the Assumption spread to the West through various channels. In Spain and Gaul, a Marian feast, initially generic but later as a celebration of the Assumption of Mary into heaven, appears at the end of the 6th century (Gregory of Tours mentions it in *De gloria martyrum*, ch. 9), and was fixed on January 18. However, in Rome, Gregory the Great (d. 604) was still unaware of any particular Marian feast. Around that time, a generic feast of Mary as Mother of God was introduced, celebrated “in octabas Domini,” i.e., on January 19. Only with Sergius I (d. 701) do we have evidence of four Marian feasts in Rome; indeed, by means of a *constitutum*, he decreed that the feasts of the Purification, Annunciation, Assumption (called *Dormitio*), and Nativity be celebrated with a solemn procession from Sant’Adriano al Foro to Santa Maria Maggiore. It is therefore certain that these feasts were introduced in Rome during the 7th century. Scholars have proposed various Greek popes, including Theodore I; however, it may be observed that the introduction of these Marian feasts by papal decree should have left some trace in the *Liber Pontificalis*. A slow infiltration, probably through Eastern monks who had massively emigrated from the East in the early decades of that century due to Persian and Arab invasions, seems more plausible. The feast of the Assumption quickly took first place among other Marian feasts. The oldest liturgical texts contemplate the bodily death of Mary, her bodily Assumption, and glorification in heaven. By the end of the 8th century, the feast of the Assumption already had a vigil, and Leo IV added its octave. During the Middle Ages, various popular customs accompanied this feast, especially in the north, such as the blessing of herbs and the first fruits of the harvest.
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### V. THE ASSUMPTION IN POPULAR TRADITIONS
Among the feasts in honor of the Mother of God, that of the Assumption was considered by the people to be the greatest, and indeed, it gave rise to grand manifestations marked by solemn ceremonies, the participation of the faithful, and a variety of beautiful and traditional customs. Nowadays, the feast, almost merged with the secular entertainments of the Ferragosto period, has lost much of its original character, which was distinctly sacred and deeply rooted in popular piety. Since its occurrence falls in the height of summer, during a pause between the main agricultural tasks, the celebrations reflected the seasonal conditions: it was the most opportune time for great pilgrimages, which are still widely practiced, especially in France.
In various localities, such as Sicily, expressions of popular devotion began on August 1 with the start of the fortnight dedicated to the Madonna: in Palermo, children would parade through the most populous streets carrying small “barette” shrines with the statue of the Madonna of mid-August, stopping at houses to sing verses in her honor and to ask for alms to defray the costs of the feast. As it was the season for fruit, it was considered a pious act during the fortnight to abstain from all fruit, or at least from certain kinds; in return, on the day of the feast, it was customary to offer abundant baskets of the finest fruits. Still in Sicily, one of the most characteristic and tenaciously preserved customs is the cavalcade of the giant and the giantess in Messina; this cavalcade also takes place in Mistretta (Messina), but for the feast of the Madonna on September 8. These are curious survivals that find parallels outside Italy as well and may perhaps be echoes of very ancient customs.
The Assumption is celebrated with particular solemnity and picturesque forms of popular devotion in other regions of Italy as well, such as in Abruzzo, where the feast is also called that of the “Madonna della Libera,” and is marked especially by illuminations and fireworks; in the Marches, where, in Fermo, the famous cavalcade of the Assumption takes place; in Liguria, and particularly in Genoa, which had it as a holy day of obligation since the year 856; indeed, in the 18th century, the consecration of the city to Mary was, by decree of the Senate, transferred from the day of the Annunciation to that of the Assumption, thereby fostering greater diffusion of the cult and festive manifestations throughout the territory of the republic. Genoa dedicated to her the magnificent basilica designed by Galeazzo Alessi, which stands on the hill of Carignano. Finally, in Sassari and Nulvi, in Sardinia, the famous “candeli” appear in the August 15 procession: towering constructions of papier-mâché, with an internal framework of reeds, which together take the form of palm trees. For further details, see **CANDLEIERI**.
Also noteworthy is the *Inchinata* of Tivoli, so called because at one point in the procession the statue of the Virgin met that of the Son, and for three times the two images bowed beneath green triumphal arches.
In many places, during the Ferragosto celebrations, characteristic elements of the Assumption feast are still recognizable. We therefore also refer to that entry. — See Plates XIX–XX.
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