second time that we have called into Messina. Sitting on a side of a hill,
the town of Messina seems to be on show as you sail through the breakwater.
A gold statue of Madonna towers overhead as if blessing every ship that
sails in and out of the protected harbour. Legend has it that the Apostle
Paul came to Messina to convert the Sicilians to Christianity. Many were not
convinced, so the Virgin Mary was persuaded to send a letter to the
Sicilians calling them to the faith. Written in Hebrew, rolled and tied
with a lock of her hair. Well that seems to have been the clincher,
especially with her final words "Vos et ipsan civitatem benedicimus",
translated means "we bless you and your city".
No comments:
Post a Comment