Messina Port
and the Blessing of a Golden Madonnina.
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What does “Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus” mean? The last time I crossed the Strait of Messina and passed the towering, seven-meter-tall golden statue of the Madonnina guarding the city and its port, I completely forgot to look into it. That question, however, resurfaced recently when I stumbled across some pictures of the statue.
The Madonnina stands as a beacon, welcoming all visitors arriving in Messina by sea.
The statue greeting all visitors who enter Messina from the sea.
After some quick research, Google provided the answer: the inscription translates to “We bless you and your city.” These words, steeped in history, are quoted from a letter the Virgin Mary allegedly sent to the people of Messina in the year 42.
A Letter from the Virgin Mary
According to legend, around 42 AD, the Apostle Paul visited Messina during his mission to convert the Sicilians to Christianity. At first, the locals resisted, clinging to their old gods and traditions. Gradually, though, many began to embrace the new faith. Some converts became so fervent in their belief that they accompanied Paul on his journey to Palestine.
During this trip, they met the Virgin Mary herself and persuaded her to write a letter to the citizens of Messina. The letter, written in Hebrew, was rolled up and tied with a lock of her hair. In this extraordinary message, Mary expressed her gratitude for their faith and promised them perpetual protection. She concluded the letter with the now-famous words, “Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus”.
The Golden Madonnina
Nearly 1,900 years later, these powerful words found a permanent place in Messina’s history. They were inscribed on the old fort of San Salvatore, which now serves as the base for the Madonna della Lettera statue. This magnificent, 60-meter-tall octagonal column and its golden figure stand as an enduring symbol of the city’s connection to the Virgin Mary.
This brings me to a new mystery worth exploring: What became of the original letter and the strand of Mary’s hair? Did they survive the centuries, or have they been lost to time? The search for answers continues.
This blog post was last updated in December 2024
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Italian Notes
Italian Notes
Very interesting!
A letter from the Virgin Mary! Wonder why we never got one of those up here…
She had no staps
I love reading all the history!!
What an interesting history and amazing that a letter from the Virgin Mary can be traced back.
Very cool it can be traced back that far. Interesting story!
Fascinating story. Thank you for the post. :)
What a lovely story. I’d not heard it before. Would love to know what happened to the letter an the lock of hair.
Yes. It’s probably in some museum somewhere. Without a helping note to identify the contents.
Yeah, like its not made up or anything.
There is s museum in the church and they have the letter and the madonas hair in an special container as a relic, it’s show to the people once a year with the golden imagen if our lady and child; it’s just beautiful
Thank you for the information. Would be fantastic to visit the Messina Port on the day the relics and the letter is displayed.
I visited a church in Messina that claimed to have the letter and lock of hair. The hair was supposedly in something meant to preserve it. So, I never actually saw it. Outside the church was a big German clock. It was a magnificent clock! It captured the attention of many. To me, although I too watched the clock, it was the letter and lock of hair that captured me. Sorry I cannot remember the name of the church but I’m guessing a Google search will reveal it.
The Madonnina still sits at the mouth of the Messina harbor in all her radiance. I ferried by her in Oct. 2013
Wasn’t that long ago I saw her either. And I suppose she’ll remain there for decades to come.
Very interesting that the Catholic faith is very much alive & visual as seen in this structure of the Golden Madonna at the entrance of Messina. I was truly excited as I am a practicing catholic. Another interesting fact on my very recent cruise was the name of a ship that I spotted as we were entering Malta ‘Karol Woytala’ name of st John Paul II. Very encouraging !!
In the south of Italy, the Catholic faith can’t be separated from everyday life. It’s ingrained in the language, the traditions and social fabric of the community.
In 1908 the town was subject to an earthquake which took the lives of around 100 000 people. So much for this divine ‘protection’.
You’re right. That earthquake is one of the deadliest in history destroying 91% of structures in Messina. At that time the Golden Madonnina had not yet been placed in Messina Port, but the blessing ought to have worked anyhow.
God loves Messina…
I’m sure.
I was inside the church in Messina. I experienced the hourly display from the bell tower attached to the church. I also spoke to the curator of the church and went upstairs to a room of relics. The letter and the gair was locked up but I did see other older items, photos are not allowed. I have a Roserary I I bought downstairs in the church store. I believe the history for I have traveled the world since 1968. I encourage visitors to experience this church if you can and they to get upstairs to the museum room.
Now I know what happened to the letter:) Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful experience.