Internationally renowned singer, percussionist, teacher Alessandra Belloni - Remo Artist proudly announces her FIRST TOUR OF THE SACRED SITES OF THE BLACK MADONNA IN SOUTHERN ITALY THE VOYAGE OF THE BLACK MADONNA August 4 to the 17, 2014 leaving and coming back to Rome's airport only $2,650 ! See this newly released link: The voyage of the Black Madonna documentary promo by Alessandra Belloni about her field research in Southern Italy during the feasts of the Black Madonna filmed between 1991 and 1997 by Dario Bollini - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsvmSOI1PEQ DEAR FRIENDS: I am very happy and proud to announce that for the first time I will be leading a special pilgrimage to the sacred sites of the Black Madonna in Southern Italy!! The tour is from August 4 to the 17th, beginning and returning to Naples on the 17th to depart for home. See details below . I will go to teach my annual workshop in Tuscany August 18th to the 25th and I am offering a special discount to the people that want to follow me there, almost half price for the workshop!! BLACK MADONNA TOUR I will take people on the same journey I have taken for many years as devotion to the Black Madonna, which inspired in 1990 me to write the Folk Opera THE VOYAGE OF THE BLACK MADONNA together with my music director John La Barbera, and my late ex-husband, Dario Bollini. It is a very personal journey for me and full of incredible memories. I know the places, people, traditions really well, and you will enter this mysterious world with me. You can see the places where we will go in the special demo-documentary that I just released online after so many years in the link above. This tour is a journey to 7 Black Madonnas that are called in the Italian Tradition as "7 sisters". They are connected to 7 Goddesses that are part of the ancient worship to the Mother Earth and the Moon Goddesses and the Archetype of the African Mother (following the story of my Opera). No one has ever put together this kind of tour dedicated to the Divine Feminine, and LA MADONNA NERA in places where she is still worshipped as she was in pre-Christian times. Unlike Spain or France, in Southern Italy we still play for her our drums, dance and chant. We will also take part in some of the powerful feasts of the Black Madonna and you will meet my friends, local folk musicians who have been my teachers near Naples and in Calabria for nights of great folk music and dance. In each location we will do a special ceremony singing the ancient healing chants to la Madonna Nera and drumming when appropriate. I will bring words to the songs and chants, and in each place will do a short lecture on the history behind the church, telling the legends of each Madonna, and talking about the Temples as the churches are actually built right on top or next to an archeological site that has the original temple of the Goddess Cybele, Demeter, Isis, Artemis, or Aphrodites. I got a fantastic tour operator from the region of Campania from Federazione Campana, Stefania Gangone who had sent me a great itinerary and got great places with good prices. We will visit the following places and Black Madonnas: 1) August 5th Madonna Nera della Neve, Torre Annunziata, spectacular feast along the sea near Sorrento/Pompei on the Amalfi Coast. In the morning we will watch the re-enacment of the fisherman fishing the Black Madonna found in a large cage in the sea. It will be spectacular as she is connected to the Goddess Aphrodites. We will also do a purification ritual in the sea and on the beach. 2) Visit to Black Madonna of Positano, also by the Sea, a beautiful Bizantine Icon, also connected to Aphrodites. Positano is one of the most beautiful towns of the Amalfi coast, and we will spend the day there. We will also Visit Pompei temple to the goddesses, and mosaics of drumming rituals. Near Pompei we will also meet my Tammorra teacher and master player Raffaele Inserra from Gragnano, the best tammorriata player in the area. 3) Black Madonna of Montevergine - also known as Mamma Schiavona (Serving Mother) spectacular sacred Mountain near Avellino- (beautiful mountain region called Irpirnia). This is the most important of the seven sisters, ancient site and temple of the goddess Cybele, Black Mother Earth Goddess from Anatolia. We will go the famous throne (a special rock in the mountains called Seggia della Madonna ) where healing miracles happen, play the tammorriata drumming and sing for her. 4) Black Madonna in Moiano, near Benevento, the one I am most devoted to and have personally received a miracle from her, she is the most magical! Also an ancient site of the worship to the Goddess Isis. 5) Black Madonna of sacred mountain Viggiano (Basilicata) ancient site of the Goddess Demeter. (Place used to be called Grumentum, from the grain and wheat coming from the earth. She is like Persephone & Demeter.) 6) Black Madonna di Seminara, Madonna dei Poveri, in Calabria, Feast Day August 14 celebrated with a wild drumming ritual, reenacting an ancient fertility rite, and giant Puppets that dance to the fast 6/8 rhythm of the tarantella (Giganti). In Calabria we will meet and feast with my good friend and tarantella teacher Vittorio de Paola and have dinner and party in his beautiful restaurant on top of the mountain with a great view of the sea. 7) August 15, we will honor the Black Madonna del Tindari on the Day of the Assumption, her feast day. This is a magical place, where the Madonna del Tindares (Ethiopian name) was found in cave under the mountain, which we will visit, by enchanted lakes of salt water, and a beautiful turquoise sea, where we will do a purification ritual. The Madonna looks like an African Totem and is inside the church on top of the mountain, with the inscription Nigra Sum Sed Formosa (I am Black and Beautiful). Next to the church we will visit the archeological site that has the temples of Demeter and Cybele and drum as we watcht he most spectacular sunset over the sea. The cost of the tour is $2,650 if we are 10 people -- or $2, 550 if we are 12 people This does not include airfare and lunch as we will be moving around during the days. but includes: 1) Hotel accommodations, double occupancy, 4 star hotels, 2) Breakfast and wonderful dinners in very good restaurants and hotels, 3) Tour bus 4) Ferry boat back and forth to Sicily 5) My work as your tour-guide with lectures on site, leading drumming ceremonies, chants and rituals in appropriate locations. Please note that I will need a registration fee of $150 by May 15 th to ensure your participation and to have the tour operator secure the hotels. The total deposit of $ , which is 30% of $2,650 (if we are 10 people) is needed by June 1st and the remaining of the total amount due 30 days before the tour starts (July 4) PAYMENT SCHEDULE Due May 15 - $150 Registration Fee (Non Refundable) Due June 1 - $795 tour Tuition Due July 4 - $1,960 (if 10 people register; $1,810 if 12 people register) You can also pay by check made to Alessandra Belloni and should be sent to: Alessandra Belloni 1111 River Road Apt G33 Edgewater NJ 07020 Please contact me right away at ABelloni@aol.com if you want to come to this tour, as we are aiming for 12 participants. Join me for a life changing tour to the Great Mother, the Black Madonna that will always accompany you and protect you. Register today! Detailed itinerary information: TOUR OPERATOR: Settimocieloviaggi LOCATIONS: NAPOLI- POSITANO-POMPEI - MONTEVERGINE - BENEVENTO -VIGGIANO - TROPEA - TINDARI ARRIVE: AUGUST 4; DEPART: AUGUST 17 AUG 4 - ARRIVE AEROPORT NAPOLI - Naples TRANSFER by bus to CASTELLAMMARE DI STABIA, IN HOTEL STABIA 4 NIGHTS, WELCOME DINNER AUG 5 FEAST OF MADONNA NERA DELLA NEVE- OF THE SEA TORRE ANNUNZIATA. (May see POMPEI later) DINNER AT HOTEL. AUG 6 whole day in POSITANO MADONNA NERA SUL MARE (on the sea) and out IN POSITANO. DINNER IN SORRENTO (then back to HOTEL). AUG 7 - free day at beach or Healing Mud in thermal baths of Stabia or Pompei (best in the world!! form the Volcano Vesuvio!), DINNER IN HOTEL. AUG 8 - after breakfast go the Mountains of IRPINIA, staying at AL GREEN PARK HOTEL (MERCOGLIANO) or CASTELVETERE SUL CALORE Afternoon visit of black MADONNA OF MONTEVERGINE E L'ABBAZIA DI GOLETO DINNER IN GREAT TYPICAL TRATTORIA AUG 9 - going to MOIANO for VISIT DELLA MADONNA DELLA LIBERA, back to Hotel, dinner in typical place or hotel AUG 10 - after breakfast leave for VIAGGIANO BLACK MADONNA OF THE SACRO MONTE. (SACRED MOUNTAIN), Dinner IN HOTEL. AUG 11 - LEAVE FOR CALABRIA, TROPEA. VISIT VARIOUS BLACK MADONNAS. HOTEL ON THE BEACH MEZZA PENSIONE (2 meals) VILLAGGIO AGRUMETO Capo Vaticano visit various locations here and meet local folk musicians -free time at beautiful beaches AUG 14 - FEAST DELLA MADONNA NERA DI SEMINARA (procession with drummers and flag dancer, amazing!) AUG 15 - After breakfast, leave for Sicily (100KM) - FERRY FROM VILLA SAN GIOVANNI- Go to MADONNA DI TINDARI (Mountain over the beach) visit also the archeological site with the sacred temples to the Goddess Demeter) come back to TROPEA
AUG 16 - leave after breakfast for Rome by bus.