La processione da Fontainemore a Oropa

Man has always had an internal need for spirituality. For millennia, people in search of faith have made pilgrimages to places of worship in various forms. For centuries, every five years, the inhabitants of Fontainemore and Vallesa have crossed the mountain and gone in procession to the Sanctuary of Oropa to venerate the Black Madonna, whose statue - according to legend - was found by a deaf-mute shepherd boy from Fontainemore. In recent times the number of people who undertake this path of faith has grown dramatically. The thousands of people who take part have created a bit of disorientation for the fontainemorains who are afraid of losing their Procession, which will never happen because this profession of faith was, is and will always remain in their hearts, it is their own life, in fact in all the houses of the town, there are images and statues of their protector. The Procession is the pride of this small community which also manages in this way to involve many faithful, who come from many parts. The more than two hundred testimonies collected in this book may seem many, or too many, for a single event, but the pilgrim's words highlight almost all aspects of this event; obviously the repetitions follow each other, but everyone has given their own particular contribution. The volume is enriched by photographic documentation of the last five editions (1985-2005) together with a selection of period images.