✨ The Mystery of the Macchina di Santa RosaEditor’s Image: Giano di

Miracles, Near Misses, and the Invisible Protection of the Saint

Every September 3rd in Viterbo, something happens that defies logic, gravity—and perhaps even death.A luminous tower, 30 meters high and weighing over 5 tons, rises in the heart of the night, carried on the shoulders of more than a hundred men in white shirts, along a path of stone, sweat, and prayer.This is the Macchina di Santa Rosa, the walking miracle.

🕊️ The Saint and Her People

Santa Rosa is not just a historical figure—a young mystic who lived in the 13th century.To the people of Viterbo, she is a living presence: a protector, a sister, a guide.The transport of the Macchina recalls the transfer of her incorrupt body in 1258, ordered by Pope Alexander IV.Since then, every year, Viterbo renews a collective bond of love—through fatigue and emotion.

🏗️ A Ritual That Challenges Gravity

The Macchina, once made of wood and papier-mâché, is now crafted in metal, fiberglass, and light.Yet it remains fragile in its grandeur, navigating balconies, power lines, and ancient houses in sacred silence—broken only by one cry:"Evviva Santa Rosa!"

The route—over a kilometer—winds through climbs, curves, and packed squares.And every year, it is a risk.But every year, the Macchina makes it. Always.

⚠️ Near Misses and Miraculous Saves

There have been many times when everything could have gone horribly wrong.And yet, almost always, something—or someone—intervenes at the last moment.

• 1986 – The Armonia Celeste Macchina nearly collapses in front of the Sanctuary.🔔 Capofacchino Nello Celestini keeps it steady with nerves of steel.

• 2006 – A fire breaks out 20 meters up.🔥 Firefighters intervene. Had it happened mid-run, it would’ve been catastrophic.

• 2007 – A whirlwind topples scaffolding and slams the Macchina against a church.🎯 No injuries. No irreparable damage.

• 2014 – A technical error nearly causes the Macchina to fall into the crowd.💪 A precise, desperate move brings it back into balance.

• 2015 – A firework is launched at the Macchina on Via Garibaldi.🌫️ No explosion. No consequences.

🙏 Faith, Prayer, and Protection

Viterbesi have no doubts: it’s Santa Rosa who watches over her Macchina and her facchini (porters).Before the journey begins, they receive a blessing in articulo mortis—as if heading into mortal danger.But despite the risk, no one backs out.Because the transport is not just a tradition.It is a promise of love.

🌟 Signs and Presences

Many claim to have seen the Saint—in dreams or in the faces of the facchini.Others speak of a mysterious light guiding the route, of invisible presences steadying hands in the most difficult moments.Some saw a white dove flying beside the Macchina.Some heard a voice in the darkness.Some wept, not knowing why.

🕯️ The Macchina, a UNESCO World Heritage

In 2013, the Macchina di Santa Rosa was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity—alongside other “great shoulder-borne processional structures” of Italy.But for the people of Viterbo, it has always been much more:A symbol of resistance, faith, identity, and hope.

✍️ In Summary:

🗓️ When: Every September 3rd, at sunset.📍 Where: From San Sisto to the Sanctuary of Santa Rosa, in the medieval heart of Viterbo.⚖️ What it represents: Collective faith, popular devotion, historical memory.⚠️ Why it's a miracle: It survives everything—fires, errors, storms—protected by an invisible force.🕊️ What it leaves behind: Tears, pride, unity.