OUR LADY OF VICTORY

Day 167: October 26

Our Lady of Victory, San Vito dei Normanni, Bari, Italy



Santa Maria della Vittoria, simply called the "Mother Church" in the city, is the most important sacred building in the city. Inside you can find paintings such as the icon of Nikopeia (which means "bringer of victory"), depicting the Virgin announcing to Pope Pius V the victory over the Turks, and a silver statue representing St. Vitus.

It is said that a group of San Vito took part in the historic battle of Lepanto on 7 October 1571. Returning unharmed, they gave a propulsive push to the construction of the new church that was rising and which, at the time, was stopped just above the foundations. Initially this church was supposed to be dedicated to the patron saint but, the enthusiasm for not having fallen in this battle changed the original project and so it was decided to dedicate this building to the Holy Virgin as protector of the city of Venice.

In 1595, after the completion of the current apse and the transept, the new Temple was opened for worship. In the first twenty years of the 1600s the church was completed and dedicated to Santa Maria della Vittoria, in memory of the event of Lepanto.

In the second half of the 1700's the current façade was built and extensive internal renovation work was carried out. At the end of these works, on 30 April 1780 Mons. Francesco Antonio Scoppa, bishop of Ostuni, solemnly consecrated the church.

In the years 1980-1992 a series of conservative restoration works were carried out with the active contribution of the people of San Vito. In October 1995, during the celebrations for the fourth centenary of the opening of the Church to worship, His Excellency Msgr. Settimio Todisco, Archbishop of Brindisi-Ostuni, inaugurated the new Holy Door, in bronze, also the work of the sculptor Ernesto Lamagna, beginning the Holy Jubilee Year of the Church and consecrated the new wooden altar, a work, together with all the furnishings of the presbytery, by the sculptor-carver Flavio Pancheri.

The Basilica includes three statues of the Patron Saint Vito Martire, respectively in silver, papier-mâché and wood. The first can only be seen on the anniversary of June 15, when a solemn city procession takes place through the streets of the historic center. The wooden one is the most used and is exhibited on various occasions of the year.

As for the square in front of the basilica, we remember the obelisk with the statue of St Vito the Martyr: simple octagonal in shape, it was built by local artisans to thank the patron saint for having freed the population from the cholera that broke out in the second half of the 60's of the 800's. At the top of this obelisk was placed the statue of the patron saint St Vito the Martyr who, equipped with a cross and palm, turns his gaze towards the historic center.

To the left of the obelisk is an ancient broken column, known to be where contracts were made. Behind the basilica there is a small square in which we find a cistern where rainwater collected from the surface of the roof of the church. Due to its capacity, in the past this cistern was highly appreciated by the population of San Vito during the summer periods of drought.


St Justin Russolillo Writes...

"Because we consider Mary as our Patroness, our Queen, our Lady, our General, Our Teacher, Our Partner, and our Mother, mindful of all these, we lovingly offer ourselves to her as her slaves, subjects, pages, soldiers, disciples, knights and sons."

(Ascension, trans. Louis Caputo, Vocationist Fathers, New Jersey, 1997, p. 381)

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