Ancoats Procession of the Madonna Del Rosario

Where:	Ancoats, Manchester, starting at St Michael's Church in George Leigh Street
When:	First Sunday in July
Time:	1 pm for 1.15 start

The Procession of the Madonna Del Rosario has been a fixture in the Ancoats calendar for well over a hundred years and is organised by the Manchester Italian Association; it’s also sometimes known as the Manchester Italian Walk. Ancoats has long been known as Little Italy and the event celebrates the traditions and culture of the country, as the area has many residents of Italian ancestry; it has been held every year since 1890 barring pandemic and world wars. Today, the procession takes the form of a colourful celebration more typical of those in Catholic countries, and is headed by men carrying statues and banners, followed by women in traditional Italian costume, and children, some of whom are dressed as for first communion. Members of several parishes take part and you can expect lots of flags, music, dignitaries, clergy and religious emblems, and plenty of excitement as the large procession makes its way through the city streets. Surprisingly little known outside the local area, this is a much loved event which is one of the most historic existing processions in the UK and fortunately it looks set to carry on into the future.