LITTLE HOLY MOTHER

At the entrance of Messina’s harbour on the tower of the fort Saint Salvatore, you can find the structure of the Little Holy Mother which it is 35 m high and was made under the patronage of the archibishop Angelo Paino. It was built in 1546 and nowadays is used by the Navy. The reinforced concrete column, covered with stone from Trapani, is sormounted by the statue of the Little Holy Mother in gilt bronze, created by the sculptor Tore Eduardo Calabrò, It is the main landmark of the town for the ones who arrive from the Strait.

Anche di te Madonna parlo
Di te che illumini quel porto
Di quella fiamma intensa
Che riscalda gli animi anche i più duri.
Tu che dall’acque del porto
T’ergi e proteggi e guidi i naviganti,
e benedici l’urbe.

Also about you I speak, Holy Mother

about you who light this harbour

about that strong flame

which heats souls even the hardest

You who from harbour waters

rise and protect and guide seafarers

And bless the urbe*

*town (Latin)

"VOS ET IPSAM CIVITATEM BENEDICIMUS”

It is the sentence contained in the text of the “sacred letter”

In fact, this iscription, which can be read on the base of the monument, is an excerpt from the letter delivered by the Holy Mother to the embassy led by Saint Paul.

The story

After the tradition, in 42 A.D., Saint Paul come to Messina to preach the gospel. When Saint Paul was going to return to Palestina, he asked some among Messina inhabitants to go with him to a meeting with the Virgin Mary in person. Mary received them and in reply to the letter she sent a letter of her own written in jewish rolled up and tied with a lock of her hair where there was this iscription (“Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus”), as a sign of protection for the town.

Text By:
Alessia Centorrino
Francesca Esmeralda D’Alessandro
Teresa De Tommaso
Valeria Di Pietro

Photos by mrs Miceli and group