This is how Lorenzo Sartorio defines the Majesties (Jerdlà – Memorie parmigiane): prayers made of stone and marble. Devotional majesties are present everywhere, in the lowlands, in the foothills and in the mountains. Expressions of popular faith of the old who, with the intention of worshipping the Madonna or the saints, created, often on a crossroads, along a path or near a fountain, a small chapel where the image of a Virgin or a saint was placed.
Whether you move along the streets by car or take a walk along the paths, you will find them from time to time. These testimonies are evidence of ancient paths, very often abandoned today. Until not many years ago, it still happened in the villages that the old ladies went to bring bouquets of wild flowers in front of the majesties.
If you are passionate about trekking and popular culture, we suggest you read Anna Mavilla’s book (Le maestà dell’alta Val Parma e Cedra), which could become the starting point for your own personal itinerary through the villages, fields and woods of these areas.
