There are a total of three churches dedicated to the worship of Madonna della Neve. The church currently used for liturgical celebrations is the newest of all and was built in the 1970s. About 150 meters away stand the other two deconsecrated churches, one adjacent to the other. The larger of the two dates back to the 19th century in its original form but underwent restoration work in the 1950s; its main façade is plastered and painted white. The gabled front is framed by two large corner pillars with a terminal cornice. The sides feature exposed stone blocks with three buttresses and three pointed-arch openings on the north side.
Adjacent to this church is the oldest and more modestly sized chapel, likely dating back to the 17th century, currently awaiting restoration. Today, it serves as a storage space during the festival, as does the neighboring church, which also functions as a dining hall where pilgrims eat meals during the novena. To the right of the small chapel is a newly constructed service annex. The front opens onto a small concrete courtyard covered by a canopy.
Around the sanctuary are the *muristenas*, lodgings for pilgrims during the Madonna della Neve celebrations; these have recently undergone renovation.
**Description:**
Two rather similar statues, both depicting Madonna della Neve, are the objects of worship. Of uncertain age, the older effigy has been described by P. Gabriele Piras as remarkable for its form and expression. During the celebration days, an annual ritual takes place where elderly women from the village dress the Madonna: one of the two statues is adorned in a Sardinian-style costume, inspired by the traditional attire of Illorai but in white-cream, finely embroidered and specially made for the statue. Once dressed, the statue is carried in procession, while the other remains inside the church.
**Image:** Statue
**Original Location of the Sanctuary:**
The votive offerings donated by devotees to the sanctuary consist of various goldsmith items used to decorate the Madonna della Neve statue.
**Type of Votive Offerings:** Goldsmith objects
The local inhabitants invoke Madonna della Neve, though she is not attributed with any specific healing powers. The local population believes she can miraculously intervene in the daily lives of the faithful, though there are no official recognitions of such miracles.
The church that now serves as the sanctuary for Madonna della Neve was built in recent times; construction began in 1974 and was completed in 1978. About 150 meters away stand two other churches, one next to the other, both deconsecrated but once also dedicated to Madonna della Neve. The larger one dates back to the 19th century, with some restoration work done around 1950. The smaller one is the oldest, likely built in the 17th century.
According to legend, during an apparition in midsummer, in August, the Madonna traced a circle of snow on the ground in the area of Luche, marking the spot where she wished the church to be built.
Another legend tied to the sanctuary tells of a man wrongly accused of murder who went into hiding. Fleeing the police, he took refuge in the sanctuary of Madonna della Neve and prayed for her to hide him and help prove his innocence. After receiving this grace, he kept his promise to fund the annual celebrations in her honor every August 5th.
There is no documented patronage system. However, there is an organizing committee for the festival, called *obreria*. Since there are two annual festivities dedicated to Madonna della Neve, the structure of the *obreria* differs for each. The celebrations around the Monday after Pentecost are organized by a committee formed in rotation by different family groups in the village. Since 1980, Illorai has had a permanent committee of about sixty people responsible for organizing the festivities held over nine days around August 5th. Before the establishment of this permanent committee, the August celebrations were also managed by a rotating priorate, as still happens for the Monday after Pentecost.
07010 Illorai SS, Italy
