Why a corner of inner-city Manchester will be forever Italy

In the late 1800s there was an influx of Italian immigrants from the North and South of Italy to the district of Ancoats near Manchester city centre, an area which was later to become known as Ancoats’ Little Italy. Since 1890 the Madonna del Rosario procession has been held every year - a colourful celebration of religion and culture.The procession was born out of the creation in 1888 of the Manchester Italian Catholic Society, the result of a local priest’s desire to form a dedicated group to support and educate Italian families living in the city.