March 11
Madonna Miracolosa di Taggia, Imperia, Liguria, Italy
The statue of the Miraculous Madonna of Taggia, originally called the Sacred or Immaculate Heart of Mary, depicts the Virgin with her heart in her hand, wearing a red robe and sky-blue mantle trimmed in gold. It was a gift from the sculptor Salvtore Revelli to his city in 1851. The statue is made of scagliola, a material similar to gesso. The eyes are of enameled crystal, blue with a transparent cornea. The first movement of the eyes occurred March 11, 1855, near the end of a week of prayer for the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The miracle continued for some days, witnessed by many: men, women, children, and priests. The pastor, Don Stefano Semeria, informed the bishop, who went to Taggia and began a canonical proceeding that gathered some 120 testimonials. On June 1, 1856, the statue of the Miraculous Madonna was solemnly crowned and a decree promulgated recognizing the miracles. The coronation anniversary is celebrated on the first Sunday in June. Taggia celebrates the patronal feast of the Miraculous Madonna annually on March 11. (Information from a website about a rose hybridized in 2005 for the 150th anniversary of the miracle, www.rosa-mystica.it/ita/storia.asp. Picture from Manuela Consonni, June 1, 2009, "Domenica 7 giugno la Festa della Madonna Miracolosa," diocesi.riviera24.it.)
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