TROPEA: The Cathedral of the Holy Mary of Romania

The Cathedral of the Blessed virgin Mary of Romania
l 9 September in Tropea is celebratedsolemnly the feast of our Lady of Romania.The legend tells that at the time of the fightsthe iconoclastic icon, was stolen by sailors, tropeani a boatcoming from the East in the byzantine-driven by a storm into the port ofTropea: this was called the Madonna of Romania.Repaired the damage, the captain tried to restart but thethe ship remained stationary in the harbor. On the same night the Bishop of the city dreamed of theMadonna who asked him to stay in Tropea and becoming its Protectress. Thethe dream repeated itself for several nights. In the end the Bishop, summoned the highofficials and citizens, went to the port to take the picture of the Madonna.As soon as the painting was brought to the ground the ship began to move again. Subsequently, theMadonna was still in a dream to another bishop, warning him of an earthquakethat would have devastated Calabria.Today, two of the six unexploded bombs are keptinside the cathedral of Tropea, to the sides of the entrance of the nave, totestimony of the extraordinary spiritual power of the ancient patron andthat day, in which history and faith are joined inextricably.
The Cathedralof the Blessed virgin Mary of Romania was built in Tropea, italy in the late TWELFTH andthe beginning of the XIII century by the Normans. It is a plant with threeaisles divided by octagonal pillars topped by pointed arches witha double ring; the three semi-circular apses conclude the aisles. Outsidestands out in a clear manner the north face is characterized by a base inwhich is placed a series of arches topped by a row of windows andthe pseudo-windows are characterized by calcareous ashlars alternating bricks and ashlarthe lava stone. The wall itself is interrupted by the entrance northhighlighted by an eighteenth-century portal in marble, in which is placed amarble relief depicting the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Romania. Thethe main façade is characterized by a large rose window of the SIXTEENTH century, from thethe door of the main entrance and a small door that leads into thethe left aisle. At the top, in the front door, and placed a sculpturea marble, representing the Madonna with the Child. The apses, entirelyrebuilt on the foundations of the original, take the party decorativethe north side.Inthe first chapel to the right, we find some tombs of the family Galluppi,dating back to 1598 and 1651, and the tomb of the philosopher Pasquale Galluppi. Inthe second chapel is placed a wooden Crucifix of the XVI century.Going forward following the side entrance to the south, and the tomb of the familyJournal (1530). From here there is access to the sacristy and the chapter roomit houses the portraits of the Bishops of the Diocese and wooden furniture of the eighteenth century.Returning to the nave to your right, continue and you arrive at the chapel of the SSSacramento and san Domenico, which houses valuable altars in marble polychrome decorations1740; the side is the altar of S. Domenico and S. Francesco of Paola. Thethe spandrels of the vault and lunettes, are home to paintings by Giuseppe Grimaldidepicting the martyrdom of St. Sunday. Coming out from the chapel, at the bottom ofthe apse of the right nave, there are the organ and the altar, with the Madonna of theThe people, the work of Fra Agnolo Montorsoli,a follower of Buonarroti, carved in the1555.On the wall of the apse is placed the icon of the Blessed VirginMaria of Romania, the work of the school of giotto attributed to Lippo Beninvieni (halfof the XIV). The picture of the giotto school, executed on the cedar plank it wasremodeled several times, with the addition of four angels on the sides, andmade rectangular in the upper part, originally circular. The pitypopular ascribes numerous miracles that protected the city from earthquakes,the plague and from the war's destruction. In the nave we find theeighteenth-century pulpit, under which is placed a bas-relief of theThe nativity, the work of Pietro Barbalonga (1598), part, originally, of thechapel Galzerano. Passing from the left nave, in the apse, we findthe altar of our Lady of the Libertàin marble of carrara (the statue of the XVII century), with aexcellent marble tabernacle of the tuscan school of the XV century, commissionedby the Bishop Pietro Balbo, originally from Tuscany. On the output side to thenorth, a bas-relief depicting the Resurrection, attributed to Gagini (halfof the XVI century) and two roundels depicting the annunciation, of the same period.