The sanctuary of the Madonna del Rosario in Pompeii is one of the most important and visited Marian places of worship in Italy. Raised to the dignity of a papal basilica, the history of the sanctuary is linked to that of the blessed Bartolo Longo, its founder. A story that is also intertwined with that of the Countess Marianna de Fusco with whom Blessed Longo shared an entire existence at the service of the least.
The sanctuary elevated to a papal basilica
The works for the construction of the sanctuary began in 1876 thanks to the offerings of the faithful who donated a penny a month. After the inauguration in 1901, the sanctuary became a major pontifical basilica at the behest of Pope Leo XIII. At the beginning it had a single nave, four side chapels and two in the cross. But over time the flow of the faithful became more and more incessant and therefore it became necessary to expand the basilica with two other naves.
Externally the sanctuary then acquired the appearance of the great basilicas of the Eternal City. The eruption of Vesuvius in 1944 did not in the least scratch it as it also saved itself from the Nazi fury that had threatened to destroy it. Three popes were also pilgrims in Pompeii: St. John Paul II in 1979 and October 2003; Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 and Pope Francis in 2015.
The Madonna of Pompeii
In the square in front of the sacred building has been placed since 1962 the statue representing the blessed Bartolo Longo made by the sculptor Domenico Ponzi. In honor of the Virgin of the Holy Rosary, the blessed composed a prayer of Pleading, approved by the ecclesiastical authority. On May 1915, XNUMX, the prayer also reached the Vatican walls and the pope of the time and the dignitaries of the Holy See recited it in the Pauline chapel. Since then the tradition has continued every year. The well-known prayer is recited in all Catholic churches in the world, especially in May and October which are months dedicated to Marian worship.
The devotion to the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii, or, more simply, of the Madonna of Pompeii, was born at the end of the 1800s thanks to Bartolo Longo. It is said, in fact, that while he was in the fields, the Madonna spoke to him. “If you spread the prayer of the Rosary you will be saved”. These are the words of the Virgin who invited the young man to divulge what is the Marian prayer par excellence. So Bartolo Longo, after this extraordinary episode goes to Napoli to purchase a painting of the Madonna with the Rosary chaplet.
The first miracle
His confessor suggests that he contact Sister Maria Concetta of the convent of Porta Medina. The nun has in fact a painting of the Virgin of the Rosary, given to her by the confessor himself. The sacred effigy is in poor condition and Bartolo Longo accepts the gift only at the insistence of the nun. Also in the image there is an error: Santa Rosa is depicted instead of Santa Caterina da Siena. Then the effigy is brought by a restorer and Longo begins to get busy for the construction of the church dedicated to the Madonna del Rosario.
Thanks to the continuous donations of benefactors and faithful, the church becomes a reality. The painting of the Madonna of Pompeii is publicly exhibited on February 13, 1876. A special occasion in which the first miracle occurs: the healing in Naples of an epileptic girl. The news has an explosive effect and soon pilgrims arrive in Pompeii from all over the world. A pilgrimage that nothing has ever stopped, so much so that millions, every year, of the faithful who visit the basilica of Pompeii. One of the best known and most venerated Marian places of worship in the world.
Photo source in evidence: The shrine dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary - Velvet -CC BY-SA 3.0
An ideal place to visit!