Notre Dame de Lavasina: the miracle and the procession

There are several religious processions that enliven Corsica. And one of these is particularly suggestive. Not only for its story but also (maybe especially) for the exceptional location in which it takes place. We are talking about Notre Dame de Lavasina procession. That even in 2015, as is tradition, will take place on September 8.

The legend at the origin of the procession dates back to 1675. When a nun from Bonifacio, sister Marie-Agnes, went on a pilgrimage to Notre Dame de Lavasina. The sister suffered from nervous convulsions and leg paralysis, and come here to be visited by a specialist. Instead, she healed smearing on her legs with the oil of the lamp that illuminated the picture of the Virgin in the church.

Since then, on September 8th of each year, in the small village of Lavasina, the miracle is remembered with one of the most heart-felt and, in some ways, characteristic procession that takes place on “the island of beauty”. A procession that every year attracts faithful who come from every region of Corsica.

Notre Dame de Lavasina is located in the homonymous village which is part of the municipality of Brando, at Cap Corse (the so-called “finger of Corsica”). And the procession (in addition to visiting the village) might be a good idea if you are spending your vacation near Bastia: to get to Brando, just take the D80 road towards north and then the D54 towards west.

Image source: «Brando-Lavasina hameau-2» par Pierre Bona — Travail personnel. Sous licence CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons