Saint Rosalia (1130-1166), also called La Santuzza (The Little Saint), and in local dialect as Rusalia, is the patron saint of Palermo, and hers celebration, called the festino, is still held each year on July 15, and is a major social and religious event in the city. According to the legend, four centuries after her death, in 1624, Saint Rosalia appeared to a hunter during a great plague in order to make honor to her remains. Miraculously such relics, passing through the streets of Palermo, healed the people from the disease who followed in procession.
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