Madonna della Civita Sanctuary: A Journey Through History and Devotion

The Madonna della Civita Sanctuary, located in Itri, in the province of Latina, is a place of great religious and historical significance. Nestled in the breathtaking landscape of the Aurunci Mountains, this sanctuary has a rich history marked by miraculous events and transformations that have shaped its destiny.

Origins and Development

The sanctuary’s history begins with the construction of a chapel in the 9th century, likely by the Basilian monks of the San Giovanni in Fellino monastery. The exact founding date is uncertain; however, historical records mention a chapel dedicated to the Madonna in 938. Later, in 1036, Duke Leone of Gaeta and his wife Emilia confirmed the monastery’s foundation, while in 1147, Gualgano and Silkegarda, a judge and notary from Itri, made a donation to the Civita church.

In 1491, Monsignor Francesco Patrizi Celletto consecrated the church, marking a significant milestone in its history. However, between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the sanctuary suffered severe damage due to looting and destruction. Fortunately, in the 19th century, it was rebuilt and expanded, becoming an important diocesan religious center.

The Miraculous Icon

The icon of the Madonna della Civita, depicting the Virgin with the blessing Child, is the heart of the sanctuary. This panel painting, supported by plaster and oil, has undergone numerous modifications and restorations over the centuries. Two crowns, placed at different times, adorn the heads of the Madonna and Child as a sign of gratitude for the graces received by the faithful. Although the icon does not fully align with the typology of the well-known Hodegetria Madonnas, its spiritual significance is deeply rooted in popular devotion.

Ex Votos and Miraculous Traditions

The sanctuary houses a precious collection of ex-votos, preserved in two large rooms: the Room of Miracles and the Old Offering Room. These ex-votos, which include painted tablets, goldsmith objects, and photographs, tell stories of miracles and graces received by devotees. The Room of Miracles, located along the staircase leading to the church entrance, holds most of these offerings.

Over the centuries, the sanctuary has endured several lootings and devastations, particularly during French invasions and wars. Many 18th-century ex-votos were lost, and only a few fragments, such as a small panel painting of an injured farmer, have survived. During World War II, the sanctuary housed around 200 painted ex-votos, but today only about 70 remain.

Legends and Festivities

Legend has it that during the iconoclastic persecutions, two Basilian monks from Constantinople managed to save the Hodegetria icon in Sicily. Later, the icon arrived in Gaeta and then took refuge on the branches of a large holm oak in the woods of Monte Fusco, where it was discovered by a mute shepherd. This miraculous event, which led to the shepherd’s healing and the construction of a chapel, is the foundation of the Madonna della Civita’s veneration.

Every year, on July 20, a festival is held in honor of the Madonna della Civita. The silver statue, dating back to 1839 and kept in a private home throughout the year, is unveiled and carried in a procession through the town of Itri, adorned with flowers and grape clusters. The solemn procession takes place on July 21, while on July 22, the statue is returned to its resting place.

Role and Recognitions

In 1777, the icon was crowned by the Bishop of Gaeta for the graces granted to its devotees. Later, in 1877, Pius IX granted a second coronation to thank the Madonna for the graces received. In 1926, the sanctuary was closed for worship by the Sacred Congregation, but the agreement signed by the Municipality of Itri restored its operation. The Lateran Pacts of 1929 transferred the sanctuary to the Archbishop of Gaeta, while administrative management was definitively assigned to the Diocese of Gaeta.

Conclusion

The Madonna della Civita Sanctuary is not only an important place of worship but also a treasure of history and faith. Its legends, ex-votos, and festivities reflect a centuries-old tradition of devotion and miracles that continues to inspire and honor the Madonna della Civita. Its history is a tale of hope and perseverance, living on in the hearts of its faithful and the beauty of its iconography.

Additional Raw Information

Initially, a chapel was erected. In 1147, under the governance of Abbot Riccardo of the Monastery of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in Fellino, the church was rebuilt. In 1491, the church was consecrated by Monsignor Francesco Patrizi Celletto. Between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the sanctuary suffered looting and destruction. In the 19th century, it was reconstructed and expanded, becoming a diocesan religious center. Description: Canvas on panel, supported by plaster and oil. The icon has been altered multiple times: two crowns were placed on the heads of the Virgin and Child at different times to celebrate and thank the Virgin for the graces received. In use: between the years 842 and 938. Epiphany: Icon depicting the Madonna holding the blessing Child. The icon does not fully correspond to the typology of the Hodegetria Madonnas. Image: Painting
Original location of the Sanctuary: The ex-votos are preserved in two large rooms: the Room of Miracles and the Old Offering Room, which now house most of the ex-votos. The votive tablets are displayed in another room of the sanctuary. The Room of Miracles is located along the staircase leading to the church entrance. Previously, devotees from Fondi and Monte San Biagio also placed ex-votos at the Church of Madonna delle Grazie in Itri on the Appian Way. Notes on the collection: The notarial document of 1690, an appraisal of the assets of Nicola Carafa Guzman, Prince of Stigliano, is one of the earliest written testimonies of the presence of ex-votos. From the second half of the 16th century, with banditry first and later French invasions, the sanctuary was looted multiple times. Of the 18th-century ex-votos mentioned by many chroniclers and pastoral visits, no trace remains. Only a small panel painting, depicting a farmer with a bloodied foot due to an axe placed nearby, likely survives. Even during World War II, around 200 painted ex-votos still existed at the Church of Madonna delle Grazie in Itri. Since then, no further information has been found. The church no longer holds any ex-votos, and local testimonies refer exclusively to the 1930s-40s. The sanctuary, however, preserves about 70 paintings. Types of ex-votos: Painted tablets, Goldsmith objects, Actual or represented prosthetics, Various objects, Photographs Current preservation: The sanctuary holds about 70 paintings. In painted ex-votos, the Madonna’s face never has the dark features of the original image, while the representation of the praying posture is always very precise. Reference to publications or printed descriptions: There is no known publication exclusively about the ex-votos of the Madonna della Civita Sanctuary, but they are discussed in “Ex Voto Between History and Anthropology,” Rome 1986, pp. 129-147.
A tradition rich in miracle stories. However, there is no formal collection of miracles. These are drawn from various writings, oral miracle narratives, and ex-votos.
Legend has it that a chapel was built the day after the sacred icon was found to display the image. The sanctuary was likely founded in the 9th century by the Basilian monks of the nearby San Giovanni in Fellino monastery. The founding date of the hermitage is uncertain: a decree by Alfonso of Aragon mentions that a chapel was built in 938; a document from 1036 states that Duke Leone of Gaeta and his wife claimed the monastery was founded by Duke Giovanni and Duchess Emilia; a parchment from August 1147 records a donation by Gualgano, a judge and notary from Itri, and his wife Silkegarda to the Civita church. On May 7, 1926, the sanctuary was interdicted and closed for worship by the Sacred Congregation until June of the same year, when the Municipality of Itri signed the agreement for the sanctuary’s restoration and operation.
The legend recounts that during the iconoclastic persecutions, two Basilian monks from Constantinople managed to escape persecution and bring the Hodegetria icon to safety in Sicily. After various events, the painting arrived in Sicily and later in Gaeta, from where it flew away and took refuge in the mountains, resting on the branches of a large holm oak in the woods of Monte Fusco. Here, the first to notice it was a mute shepherd searching for a lost ox, found kneeling in adoration of the image placed high among the branches. Upon seeing the painting, the shepherd regained his hearing and speech and worked to make the inhabitants of the area aware of the grace he had received. A chapel was immediately built to display the miraculous image.
Another parallel festival takes place within the city, honoring the silver bust statue reproducing the Madonna della Civita icon, dating back to 1839. The statue is sealed and hidden behind a wall in a private home throughout the year. On the morning of July 20, the people, accompanied by civil and religious authorities, go to Via San Gennaro to retrieve the statue from the de Fabritiis family. The procession, after a stop at the Madonnella, returns to the city to the Church of the Annunciation, where the statue is displayed. On July 21, the solemn procession takes place. After the 8:30 AM Mass, the procession accompanies the statue, adorned with flowers and grape clusters, through the entire city. On July 22, the statue is returned: after the morning Mass, the statue is escorted back to Via San Gennaro. The following morning, the festival committee retrieves it to return it to its refuge, where, after an attempted theft, it is sealed behind a wall.
In 1777, the icon was crowned by the Bishop of Gaeta for the graces granted to its devotees. In 1877, after the approval granted by Pius IX, a guest of the sanctuary during the Roman Republic of 1849, the Archbishop of Gaeta crowned the image a second time to thank the Madonna for the graces received.
Granted in 1492.
In 1870, the Municipality of Itri assumed jurisdiction over the sanctuary. Soon, the municipal authorities began to claim rights, believing that with the decree releasing the sanctuary’s assets, its legal personality, the assets and the sanctuary itself would pass to the Municipality as patron. The ecclesiastical authorities proposed regulations, and in 1926, a new agreement was proposed, which the Municipality did not sign. Hence, the decree of May 7, 1926, issued by the Sacred Congregation of the Council, placed the sanctuary under interdict, prohibiting the exercise of ministry and declaring it closed for worship. In June of the same year, the Municipality of Itri retracted its positions and signed the agreement for the sanctuary’s restoration and operation. The Sacred Congregation then revoked the measure. In 1929, following the Lateran Pacts, the Holy See proposed that the sanctuary be ceded to the Archbishop of Gaeta, a transfer finalized in July 1926.
No other spiritual care is attested before that of the secular clergy of Itri.
The royal decree of January 19, 1858, established the right of the Mayor of Itri to keep one of the three keys to the ex-voto deposit. On February 13, 1858, an archiepiscopal bull decreed that the Itri decurionate could propose the triennial appointment of the lay procurator of the sanctuary, reserving the choice to the Superior General of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts (the clergy officiating the sanctuary), to whom the procurator would be required to report accounts of his management. With the Concordat, administrative management was definitively transferred to the Diocese of Gaeta. The sanctuary was granted to the Bishop of Gaeta to establish a religious community of Passionists. This decree thus denied the Municipality of Itri the right of patronage over the sanctuary. The religious authority of the sanctuary was represented by the Rector, who was appointed by the Bishop from a shortlist of priests proposed by the Mayor of Itri. It is believed that the first patronage may have been exercised by the Dukes of Gaeta, who, according to sources, were the promoters of the first place of worship. Subsequently, patronage may have been exercised by the Bishop of Gaeta, but there are no certain sources on this matter.

Via Maria Santissima della Civita, 04020 Itri LT, Italy