Marian Shrine Roverano at Carrodano
This is one of the oldest shrines in eastern Liguria, founded in 1350, with a story that is more than anything else, legend.
This story follows a narrative pattern used very often in the stories Marian apparitions, which means we will examine later.
On 7 September of a year unknown (some say between 1350 and 1352), two shepherds, one deaf and dumb from birth, were resting under an olive tree on Mount Roverano, not far from the small village of the needle.
Suddenly, they appeared a beautiful lady dressed in blue, of course, Madonna, addressing the silent girl, invited her to go and call the pastor of The Needle and bring him before him. Needless to say, the shepherdess miraculously acquired voice heard and went to call the pastor who saw, with half the population of the village, eagerly to see the Virgin. But the beautiful lady was already gone.
from an olive tree, however, hung a painting of the Madonna and Child. The pastor decided to take him to the rectory to fix it, then in the village church, but the next morning, the painting was no longer where she had left and only after a long search, was found on Mount Roverano, attached to the same olive day before.
was clear, then, that was in that place that the Virgin wanted to be worshiped and was immediately erected a chapel which was later extended several times until the current provision of 1875 (1).
But there is another miracle that, contrary to the article, is repeated every year, just 7 / 8 September, during the celebrations involving the inhabitants of The Needle and Time: The great flowering of olive trees.
is said, in fact, that the olive trees surrounding the shrine miraculous flowers during the procession which is completely out of season.
This tradition is very significant because it allows us to make a guess of interpretation of the entire legend.
First, the anniversary falls on the article 7 / 8 September (as the procession to Mount Dragnone), given that, according to the Gregorian calendar corresponds to the Nativity of Mary and, according to the custom of agriculture, marks the end of summer and crops.
It is quite likely, as we noted earlier, that the Catholic Church has superimposed on Marian devotion to pagan festivals, so the celebration of the Nativity of Mary may have been scheduled for that date in its place a ritual event before, maybe type of agriculture.
The coincidence of this period with the end of the harvest, in fact, it seems a good clue in this regard. Agricultural similar festivals have been celebrated since the dawn of agriculture, which does not seem strange that the fourteenth century Ligurian have wanted Madonna as the tutelary deity of that particular moment when everything becomes more precarious, we go into winter and only the hard work of summer-autumn can ensure the sufficiency of food preserved in the cold months.
As mentioned for the other laws examined so far, this "Lady of Rover" may just be an adjustment of a Christian deity rural much older, a great mother of fertility, the personification of the earth itself, which was revered perhaps in an attempt to extend some time the abundance of the harvest or, more likely, as a good omen for the next spring when nature, reminiscent of the devotion of the men fall, was generous in giving its fruits.
In this context, seem to fit consistently the "bloom miracle "of the olive trees that could have been introduced long ago, initially as a kind of symbolic ritual.
not a real flower, but, perhaps, an event where the branches of some trees were decorated with floral representations. Or the flowers could be painted or marked on the body with natural colors, print, similar to pintaderas prehistoric.
This practice may have been intended to "thank" the earth as given, and "invited" to do the same next year, when he wakes up from sleep unproductive winter.
This tradition could easily be reached, not so distorted, up to us and subsequently linked to the cult of the Madonna.
Also, remember that the flower can be considered, generally, a solar symbol, and thus have more significance in the agricultural culture, as the sun is the conditio sine qua non growth of crops. Engravings depicting the edge of the solar floral forms were found in great quantities in all rock sites of Liguria.
Finally, we note how the flower is related by affinity to the butterfly, a symbol of the soul separated from the body and, therefore, the spirit of the deceased.
return to the shrine, however, we find that the name "Rover" is derived from the Latin robur , with the meaning of "strength" or "strength" but also "oak." The oak, the most popular type of oak, takes its name from this root.
You can then reconnect the upstream Roverano with nature worship, this time in terms of trees. The symbolism of the tree, which we discussed briefly above, is, in addition to axis of the world, that of identification with the man. The tree, like man, is made of a log carrier, attached to the ground with his feet / roots, which expands in three dimensions thanks to its branches, arms.
Mount Rover is a necessary step to reach the Passo del Bracco, and thus, by a line of communication is also important in ancient times. It is not unlikely that it was a place of worship of some importance that the devotion of the villagers and pre-Roman, difficult to eradicate, was "justified" by the appearance of the Madonna that would, in a sense, sacred and profane space it would yield, therefore, acceptable attendance.
is likely that the Ligurian today without even knowing it, are attending the spiritual places of antiquity, as did their fathers and grandfathers before them, in a continuity fluid which, while changing objects of veneration, follows a spontaneous drive to certain destinations, or a tradition so strong that fail to become extinct, despite the millennia.
Notes:
(1) FM Bussetti, G. Maura Costa, The Sanctuaries of Liguria, Genoa, AGIS, 1980; M. Gamba, Marian Apparitions, Udine, Edizioni Segno, 1999
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| The facade of the sanctuary after the recent restoration |
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| The painting shows the Virgin and Child |
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