More than 2,000 people will parade through Manchester later in a tradition begun by the city’s Italian community nearly 140 years ago.
The Madonna Del Rosario procession is part of a display of religious faith but also a celebration of Italian identity with pride of place given to a 5ft (1.5m) statue of the Virgin Mary dating back nearly 100 years.
It begins at 13:00 BST in George Leigh Street, Ancoats, an area once known as Little Italy due to the Italian immigrants who settled there.
The procession, which began in 1888, leaves Ancoats with association officials and civic dignitaries at its head, led by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Bishop of Salford.
