Once a year, snow falls from the ceiling of the basilica of St Mary Major to celebrate the feast of the Madonna of the snows.
On 5 August at 10am, the celebrations will begin with the re-enactment of the miracle presided over by the Archpriest of the Basilica. Tradition holds that on that day in 358AD snow fell on the site of this future church.
Pilgrims from around the world come to Rome to witness this event.
“We thought it would be a great opportunity to celebrate this feast here and to experience this feast in place where it originates,” said pilgrims Duco and Patrycja.
“Being from Poland, you feel a church in communion, a Catholic Church, that we are really here united in prayer, even if not everyone understands the language, in that way we are united in Christ,” said polish pilgrim Bartosz.
Later that day at 5:30pm, Pope Francis will travel to St Mary Major to join in vespers and another demonstration of the miracle.
This will be one of the pope’s first events following his July summer break.