Madonna della Bruna

The people of Matera are convinced that the Bruna's name came from the dark color of the image of the Madonna in the Duomo.

Restoration, however, refuted such a thesis, as the image is quite light. It was darkened by the smoke of the candles, which the believers lit in the church throughout the centuries. Pope Urban VI probably established the name in 1389, when he proposed the celebration of this Feast.

Gattini ascribes the meaning of this name to the term "bruna", which means "armour ".

Others believe "Bruna" to be the dialect corruption of "Hebron", the city in Judea where the Virgin visited Saint Elisabeth. Hence the other, less common name, "Visitation ".