Stele della Madonna della Lettera, Religious monument at Messina harbor, Italy.
The bronze statue of Madonna stands 7 meters tall at the top of a 60-meter column overlooking the entrance to Messina's port.
The monument, designed by Francesco Barbaro and completed in 1934, rises from the 16th-century Forte del Santissimo Salvatore built during Emperor Charles V's reign.
The statue portrays the Madonna holding a letter in her left hand while extending her right hand in blessing toward ships entering and leaving the harbor.
The base contains a Latin inscription 'VOS ET IPSAM CIVITATEM BENEDICIMUS' carved in large letters, visible to vessels approaching the harbor.
A crystal replica of the statue was presented to Pope Pius XII, who later returned it to Messina where it remains in the Painiana library.
Inception: 1934
GPS coordinates: 38.19653,15.56279
Latest update: March 3, 2025 03:46
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