Madonna della Rosa

Valle San Martino is famous for its magnificent chestnut groves and for the feast of the Madonna della Rosa, which is celebrated on the first Sunday in May.

The festival is a commemoration of the passing of Queen Christina of Sweden, a woman of great personality and a lover of art, music and theatre. Around the middle of the 17th century, on her return to Rome after one of her journeys, she ran into a group of brigands who wanted to rob her but, thanks to the Virgin's protection, she managed to escape unscathed from the attack.

On the feast day’s eve, at dusk, a charming procession with torches winds its way through the delightful alleys of the village, moving from the village church towards the sanctuary of the Madonna della Rosa, located on a hill about a kilometre away, and from there back towards the village. The procession is accompanied by the rifle shots of the 'shooters', who dress in period costumes and bear ancient weapons.

Curiosity: a very valuable tapestry that belonged to Christina of Sweden and later to the Collicola family, called 'A verdura con uccelli' (Greenery with birds), is currently on display in Palazzo Collicola’s piano nobile.