Madonna di Piedigrotta

Abstract

Created in the 14th century, this sculpture of the Madonna and Child is enshrined in the Church of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta in Naples. Since the Renaissance, the sculpture has held devotional significance for the faithful in Naples. Although the cult of the Madonna di Piedigrotta is first recorded in the 13th century, scholar Stefano d’Ovidio argues that the current wooden sculpture may have replaced an earlier icon, now lost. The early prominence of the cult is reflected in the writings of Bocaccio and Petrarch, who both comment on the activity surrounding the sacred image. The Madonna of Piedigrotta also served as a central devotional figure for the Angevins and the Aragonese monarchs. Robert of Anjou and Queen Joanna were particularly devout to the Madonna, while the Aragonese monarchs, King Alfonso the Magnanimous and his son, Ferrante, were known to have participated in processions honouring the Madonna, typically held on September 8. In September 1528, the Madonna of Piedigrotta was credited with protecting the Neapolitans from both a siege by the French and the outbreak of a plague. As a result of this miraculous intervention, an annual parade was held in her honour. Over time, the Madonna became renowned for many other miracles that reinforced her role as protector of Naples. According to one prominent legend, though undated, a stormy night caused the sea to become violent. Sailors invoked the Virgin Mary for her protection. That same night, a sacristan named old Bernardino noticed that the wooden sculpture of the Madonna above the altar was gone. He assumed that the sculpture had been stolen and sought help. However, the Madonna appeared moments later, her mantle soaked from the rain. She walked to her throne and explained to the sacristan that she had gone to help the sailors during the storm. As she returned to the altar, she shook the sand off her shoes, inadvertently leaving one behind. The abbot later discovered the shoe and found old Bernardino dead in his bed with a smile on his face. The episode established the Madonna as the celestial guardian of sailors and fishermen, who continue to venerate her every five years by carrying her in procession. Her abandoned shoe led to small shoe shaped offerings, which then led to the association with baby shoes, and so this Madonna is the focus of devotion for women seeking to conceive. To this day, women bring infant shoes to the sculpture. This sculpture of the Virgin and Child was dressed during the Renaissance with a fabric mantle, which was draped over her shoulders. Evidence of the Virgin wearing a mantle is seen in a 16th-century painting by Fabrizio Santafede of the Madonna of Piedigrotta flanked by saints Ubald and Gennaro. In the 19th century, the mantle was removed from the sculpture, causing the faithful to revolt in the church, and it was put back and removed again in 1966 when the sculpture underwent restorations. The mantle is now safeguarded behind glass in a vitrine on the wall of the church. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.