The parish of Caniçal will celebrate the festival in honor of Nossa Senhora da Piedade on Sunday, September 20th. This celebration is the most well-known in the parish and one of the most significant on the island of Madeira.
The program includes musical performances, pilgrimages, a sea procession, and masses. The festival, although not in honor of Caniçal's official patron saint, São Sebastião, draws more visitors than the patron saint's festival.
The chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, built in the 17th century, was constructed following a vow by a group of sailors who narrowly escaped shipwreck. The chapel is located about four kilometers from the parish church.
