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| Photo credit: Palermoviva.it |
In this Marian month of May, we turn our attention to one of the most elegant and beautiful statues of the Virgin and Child you may ever come across -- at least in this writer's estimation -- the Madonna di Trapani located in the Basilica santuario di Maria Santissima Annunziata in Trapani, Sicily. To my mind, this particular statue of the Madonna of Trapani hearkens back to the calm, serene style of the classical period, but the particular dating and origins of this statue are something of a mystery. What is known for certain is that the statue existed in this location at least since the 1400's, and there is some speculation that it may have been created in a workshop in Pisa at least a century or two earlier -- which is quite fascinating given that the style doesn't feel especially 'medieval' (but of course, what that 'feels' like depends very much on the particular region one is talking about). Whatever the case, the sculpture is renowned for its particular beauty, and this is perhaps best summed up by a remark made by the Count of Albadalista, a viceroy of Sicily, who said of it: "Whoever wishes to see her [the Virgin] more beautiful, let him go to heaven."
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| Photo credit: Stefano Sugamiele |
That statue is life sized and sculpted from Parian marble -- a type of marble that was used and highly prized in Ancient Greece. Originally it was made without its crowns, but in 1733 the Chapter of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome commissioned a Roman silversmith to produce the two crowns for the statue, and the statue was solemnly crowned the following year. Interestingly, for the occasion of the second centenary of the coronation, Pope Pius XI, in an Apostolic Letter dated June 8, 1934, exceptionally ordered that "as a sign of gratitude to this singular Mother and protector... to again crown... with a golden crown the Simulacrum of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Trapani." Clearly, this particular image is a subject of some importance within the region, and the Madonna of Tripani has indeed been declared the patroness and protector of the same with the statue being situated in its own special chapel.
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| The chapel also includes beautiful elements of Sicilian baroque |
As alluded to earlier, the features of the statue are particularly noteworthy for their particular refinement and elegance, with the Christ Child depicted tenderly looking at the Virgin, while the Virgin herself gazes out toward us; a tender expression is found on both her face and that of Christ.
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| Photo credit: Stefano Sugamiele |
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| Photo credit: Stefano Sugamiele |
The feast of the Madonna of Trapani. is solemnly celebrated on August 16th and is preceded by 15 days of prayerful preparation, called "the Madonna's Fortnight" (la Quindicina della Madonna). During this time, pilgrims make pilgrimages to the sanctuary, often by foot -- and it is said that those who have received special graces via the intercession of the Madonna of Trapani do so barefoot. Following this two week period of pilgrimage, the feast day is finally celebrated with a Solemn Pontifical Mass, a public procession of the statue (now a copy of the statue rather than the original) throughout the streets of the city of Trapani, finally followed by a festal display of fireworks for the people of Trapani.
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