Madonna of the Arch

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Read the story of the Madonna dell'Arco

Among the many Sanctuaries that dot the Italian territory, dedicated to the Madonna and among the many titles that have been attributed to her over the centuries, there is one that venerates her under the title of Madonna of the Arch.

The sanctuary of the same name and the popular cult tributatole is part of the three major poles of Marian devotion in Campania: Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, Madonna of Montevergine and Madonna dell'Arco.

Beginning of worship

The beginning of the cult is linked to an episode that took place in the mid-fifteenth century; it was an Easter Monday, the day of the so-called “Easter Monday”, that is the famous trip outside the city once upon a time, and near Presemble d'Arco, some young people were playing “palla a maglio” in a small field, today we would say bowls.

Ai margini del campetto sorgeva un’edicola (la pia usanza di erigere edicole sacre lungo le vie, sui muri delle case, sull’ingresso dei poderi, è antichissima) sulla quale era dipinta una immagine della Madonna con il Bambino Gesù, ma più propriamente era dipinta sotto un arco di acquedotto; da questi archi vengono i nomi di Madonna dell’Arco e Pomigliano d’Arco.

In the course of the game, the ball ended up against an old linden tree, whose branches partially covered the frescoed wall, the player who had missed the shot, in practice lost the match; at the height of anger, the young man took the ball back and, cursing, threw it violently against the sacred image, hitting it on the cheek which began to bleed.

Miracle

The news of the miracle spread in the area, reaching as far as the Count of Sarno, a local nobleman, with the task of "justice"; behind the fury of the people, the count set up a trial against the young blasphemer, condemning him to hang. The sentence was immediately carried out and the young man was hanged on the linden tree, near the aedicule, which, however, two hours later, still with his body dangling, dried up under the gaze of the amazed crowd.

This miraculous episode aroused the cult of the Madonna dell'Arco, which immediately spread throughout Southern Italy; crowds of faithful flocked to the place of the prodigy, so it was necessary to build, with the offerings of the faithful, a chapel to protect the sacred image from bad weather.

A century after 2 April 1589, a second prodigious episode took place, this time too it was a Monday after Easter, now consecrated to the feast of theMadonna of the Arch: a woman, Aurelia Del Prete, was on her way to the chapel to thank the Madonna, thus fulfilling a vow made by her husband, who had recovered from a serious eye disease.

Mentre avanzava lentamente nella folla dei fedeli, le scappò di mano un porcellino che aveva acquistato alla fiera, nel cercare di prenderlo, sfuggente fra le gambe della gente, ebbe una reazione inconsulta: giunta davanti alla chiesetta, gettò a terra l’ex voto del marito, lo calpestò maledicendo la sacra immagine, chi l’aveva dipinta e chi la venerava.

The crowd horrified, her husband tried in vain to stop her, threatening her to fall off the feet with which she had profaned the vow to the Madonna; her words were prophetic: her wife began to have excruciating pain in her feet which swelled and blackened visibly.

In the night between 20 and 21 April 1590, Good Friday night, "no more pain and without a drop of blood” one foot came off cleanly, and during the day the other too.

I piedi furono esposti in una gabbietta di ferro e ancora oggi sono visibili nel Santuario, perché la grande risonanza dell’avvenimento fece affluire una grande folla di pellegrini, devoti, curiosi, che volevano vederli per cui  si rese necessario costruire, grazie alle generose offerte, una grande chiesa, di cui fu nominato rettore S. Giovanni Leonardi da parte del Pp Clemente VIII (Ippolito Aldobrandini, 1592-1605).

On 1st May 1593 the first stone of the current Sanctuary was laid and the Dominican fathers took over the management the following year and still are. Various prodigies were repeated around the sacred effigy, which began to bleed again in 1638 for several days; in 1675 it was seen surrounded by stars, a phenomenon also observed by Pp Benedetto XIII (Pietro Francesco Orsini, 1724-1730).

The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary collects in its rooms and on the walls, thousands of silver votive offerings, but above all thousands of painted votive tablets, representing the miracles received by the donors, which constitute beyond the testimony of devotion, a very interesting overview of history and customs of the centuries elapsed.

The cult of the Madonna dell'Arco is supported by ancient popular devotion, propagated by lay associations, scattered throughout the Campania area, but above all in Naples, its members are called"flying"or“fujenti”that is, those who flee, run; the Companies of these devotees are called "paranze” and have an organization with offices, presidents, treasurers, standard-bearers and members.

They have flags, banners, they dress in white, men, women and children, with a red and blue shoulder band that characterizes them. They organize pilgrimages, usually on Easter Monday, which, starting from the various places where they are based, carry simulacra on their shoulders large enough to employ thirty, forty men and always all on foot and sometimes in a hurry.

Thus they travel many kilometers to converge on the Sanctuary, many are barefoot; along the way offerings are collected for the Shrine, something they have been doing for a couple of months before, going around in groups with flags, musical band and devotional clothes through the districts, neighborhoods and streets of cities and towns.

Se il Santuario, con l’annesso grandioso convento dei Domenicani, è il centro del culto, in molte strade ed angoli di Napoli e dei paesi campani, sono sorte cappelline, edicole, chiese dedicate alla Madonna dell’Arco, che ognuno si fa carico di custodire, accudire e abbellire, così da continuare la devozione tutto l’anno e vicino alla propria casa.

For further information: The Portal of the Madonna dell'Arco

Visit the website of Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Arco

Main source: santiebeati.it (“RIV./gpm”). Source: gospeloftheday.org