St. Rosalia
Palermo
Sicily, Italy
N 38° 06.836 E 013° 21.383
Short Description:
A statue of St. Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo, is located in the courtyard in front of the Cathedral of Palermo at Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 90040 Palermo, Italy.
Long Description:
A Baroque marble monument containing a statue honoring St. Rosalia was created by Vincenzo Vitagliano in 1744. St. Rosalia is depicted wearing a full length tunic with a cape over her left shoulder which is tied around her waist. She is carrying an iron cross above her head in her right hand. Her left hand is facing down towards a plague victim on the ground before her feet. The statue rests on top of a 20' marble base.
St. Rosalia was born into a noble Norman family in 1130. She lived her life as a devoutly religious hermit in a cave Mount Pellegrino, where she died in 1166. In 1624, when the plague struck Palermo, Saint Rosalia appeared to a woman plague victim and then to a hunter. She told the hunter where to find her bones and to bring her bones to Palermo to be carried in a procession through the city streets. After the third procession the plaque ceased. From that time on she has become the patron saint of Palermo. Her remains are kept in a reliquary in the Chapel of St. Rosalia in the Cathedral of Palermo.
The curved dado on the front of the base is inscribed:
CAROLO IMPERANTE
REGE UTRIUSQUE SICILIAE INFANTE HYSPANIARUM
LABANTIS SECURITATIS
PROVIDO MUNIFICO INVICTISSIMO PROPUGNATORI
PROREGE INCLYTO ET NOBILISSIMO PRINCIPE
BARTHOLOMEO CORSINI
DIVAE ROSALIAE
QUOD MESSANAE PESTILENTIA
SUIS UNDIQUE ERUPTA SUBURBIIS
TAUROMENIUM INTER AC MYLAS ALTE COERCITA
RELIQUUM TRINACRIAE INCOLUME URBEMQUE IMPAVIDAM
IN MAXIMO RERUM DISCRIMINE MIRE SERVAVIT
PIAE, VICTRICI, AUGUSTAE
DEQUE REGNO DEQUE CIVIBUS OPTIME MERITAE
PRAETURA ET QUAESTURA MALEFICII FUNCTUS
VOTI COMPOS DE SUA PECUNIA POSUIT
IGNATIUS SEBASTIANUS GRAVINA CRUYLLAS
PRINCEPS PALAGONIAE
ETC ETC ETC
VII IDES MAIAS MDCCXLIV
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