Misplaced Pages

#815184

43-462: The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi is located 10 kilometres (6 mi) from San Luca. It has long been the 'Ndrangheta's meeting place. San Luca was founded on October 18, 1592, by Prince Sigismund Loffredo and named after Saint Luke the Evangelist , who became the patron saint of the town. It was populated by refugees from the old town of Potamia, which was destroyed by landslides. San Luca became

86-458: A comune in 1811, and was hit by floods and landslides in 1951, 1953, and December 1972. Journalist and author Corrado Alvaro grew up in San Luca in the early 1900s, a time when illiteracy was near 100 percent and the town had no drinking water. The women went to fetch water with the casks on their heads at a well nearby. The town was fairly isolated; there was no road to the coast and the only way

129-515: A Sicilian artist in the 16th century and is coloured, with staring black and white eyes which follow the viewer. The second statue of the Madonna of the Mountains is kept in a niche in white marble. Every year, on September 2, her feast day, the statue is carried in procession by a great number of people. Every fifty years a very special event takes place at Polsi: the crowning of the statue of the Madonna on

172-408: A car or a train journey away from Locri. There are several hotels, residences, hostels, and bed&breakfast establishments where tourists and visitors can find comfortable accommodation for their stay. The Tourist Information Centre can offer assistance and information on matters of accommodation. In Locri, you can find many administrative bodies and public services, such as a criminal and civil court,

215-464: A giant picnic in the mountains, ate, perhaps prayed a little and especially where one danced, according to Francesco Perri in his book ‘Enough of Dreams’ in 1929. “Caravans came down from every point in the valley. The people sang and uttered short, loud cries of ‘Viva Maria’ and continually fired their guns. Among the crowds around the sanctuary and in the nearby wood the shooting was incessant …. And over all that multiple discordant din that boomed like

258-470: A hillside slope. The original structure had space for more than 4,500 people; now only the central part of the theatre is visible. Part of the Cavea was cut into the rocks. Each plane was divided in 7 wedges between 6 scales. A horizontal separation divided the upper theater from the lower theatre. In 1982, the exquisite and famous Ludovisi Throne , found reused in the ancient Roman gardens of Sallust in 1887,

301-577: A religious event, the festival in Polsi is an important cultural event for local music and dance. Before the road to Polsi was constructed, people would walk for hours or even days. During the pilgrimage people would dance along stretches of the road. Women in particular might make the vow to dance along the route if they wanted to ask for a favour or to give thanks. According to the Calabrian writer Corrado Alvaro in his book ‘Calabria’ in 1931: “Girls thus dance along

344-529: A revenue agency, a police station, travel agencies, three post offices (two of which have ATM facilities), banks, the State Archive, the City Hall (built in 1880), trade unions, the bishop's office, several Catholic churches, and an Indian and an Evangelical church. The city is also home to the most important hospital of the area, an emergency medical service, many private doctors, and three pharmacies. There are in

387-492: A temple to Zeus , record payments to a 'king', generally thought to be Pyrrhus. Despite this, Pyrrhus plundered the temple of Persephone at Locris before his return to Epirus, an event which would live on in the memory of the Greeks of Italy. At the end of the war, perhaps to allay fears about its loyalty, Locris minted coins depicting a seated Rome being crowned by 'Pistis', a goddess personifying good faith and loyalty, and returned to

430-404: A wide range of sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, snorkeling, fishing and diving, and, because there is nearby hilly and mountainous terrain, trekking and hiking are further options. Finally, being a seaside city, Locri can offer enjoyable walks on the sea-front boulevard or on the beach and in the summer months it plays host to an assortment of beach-side lidos. In

473-400: Is considered one of the many pagan residues of the old cult of Demetra and Persephone , a symbol of the link between human fertility and that of the earth. The atmosphere is influenced by the primordial sacrifice of goats, whose meat is then cooked. The whole event is accompanied by wild performances of the tarantella , a local dance, which represent an ancient and universal way of honouring

SECTION 10

#1732855122816

516-470: Is elected every year, is in charge of convening these meetings, but, far from being “the boss of the bosses”, actually has comparatively little authority to interfere in family feuds or to control the level of inter-family violence. In 1969 the police raided a meeting, the so-called Montalto summit , near the Sanctuary and captured more than 70 'ndranghetisti, while others managed to escape. The importance of

559-557: Is now the administrative centre of the Locride area. The city boasts a National Museum and an Archaeological Park. Apart from the archeological sites, the town is also an important sea-side resort along the Costa dei Gelsomini , or Jasmine Coast, one of the wildest coastlines of Italy. Locri, with over 12,000 inhabitants, is an important administrative and cultural centre on the Ionian Coast, in

602-470: Is still very important. Worshipers from all over Calabria and Eastern Sicily come to honour the Madonna , a token of faith to pay at least once in one’s lifetime. This holds not only for the believer. Some who come to Polsi feel as if they have set out beyond a “new frontier”. Worshipers come from June to November, but the numbers increase between 30 August and 2 September to over 50.000. It has been venerated by

645-617: Is the plural of the Latin Locrus , which was used both to mean an inhabitant of Locris and the eponymous ancestor of the Locrians . Strabo suggests that the Ozolian Locrians were the principal founders, while Ephorus held that the Locri was a colony of Opuntian Locris . Due to fierce winds at an original settlement, the settlers moved to the present site. After a century, a defensive wall

688-539: The Carabinieri captain Giuseppe Petella reported meetings between several criminal societies at the shrine. According to the pentito Cesare Polifroni – a former member turned state witness – at these meetings, every boss “must give account of all the activities carried out during the year and of all the most important facts taking place in his territory such as kidnappings, homicides, etc.” The capo crimine , who

731-571: The Crimine ." At least since the 1950s, the chiefs of the 'Ndrangheta locali have met regularly near the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi during the September Feast. In 1969 the police raided a meeting near the sanctuary and captured more than 70 'ndranghetisti , while others managed to escape. The historical preeminence of the San Luca family is such that every new group or locale must obtain its authorization to operate and every group belonging to

774-567: The San Luca feud between two rival 'Ndrangheta clans from San Luca. Locri Locri is a town and comune (municipality) in the province of Reggio Calabria , Calabria , southern Italy. Its name derives from that of the ancient Greek region of Locris . Today it is an important administrative and cultural centre on the Ionian Coast and within its province. Epizephyrian Locris or Locri Epizephyrii ( Ancient Greek : Λοκροί Ἐπιζεφύριοι , romanized :  Lokroí Epizephúrioi ; from

817-732: The 'Ndrangheta "has to deposit a small percentage of illicit proceeds to the principale of San Luca in recognition of the latter’s primordial supremacy." San Luca, in the words of a study published in 2005 by Italy's domestic intelligence service, is "the cradle of [the 'Ndrangheta] and its epicentre". In 1991, the San Luca feud , a war between the Pelle -Vottari-Romeo and Strangio -Nirta clans began and resulted in several deaths. It carried into Germany in August 2007 when six Italian men were shot to death in front of an Italian restaurant in Duisburg . In May 2023,

860-640: The Italian Province of Reggio Calabria. The town is easily reached by plane; in fact, it is only 90 minutes away from the International Airport of Lamezia Terme and from the Airport of Reggio Calabria. Locri is well connected to all regional and national towns and cities by train, shuttle, taxi, and bus. The A2 autoroute makes Locri easy to reach by car, too. Sicily is accessible by ferry boat from Villa San Giovanni or Reggio Calabria, both of which are

903-653: The Italian police made numerous arrests in San Luca as part of an international razzia against the 'Ndrangheta. Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi , also known as the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Polsi or Our Lady of the Mountain , is a Christian sanctuary in the heart of the Aspromonte mountains, near San Luca in Calabria , southern Italy . It

SECTION 20

#1732855122816

946-514: The Roman fold. The city was abandoned in the 5th century AD . The town was finally destroyed by the Saracens in 915. The survivors fled inland about 10 kilometres (6 mi) to the town Gerace on the slopes of the Aspromonte . After 1850 Gerace developed along the coast, forming a new centre Gerace Marina, to house new public buildings and a railway station. In 1934 it changed its name in Locri, which

989-403: The divine being. Therefore, pilgrims go to Polsi to pray, thank, ask for graces to be granted, but also to feel free, live the illusion, be together, dance, sing and eat goat. During these last years church authorities have required several substantial changes in the religious practices and traditional devotions, in an attempt to level and normalize all manifestations of popular belief. Beside

1032-417: The entire route, and will be dancing night and day for the hours that they have specified in their vow, until they will collapse on the ground or need to lean on a wall while their feet are still moving.” The festival of Polsi had nothing of the sadness of others where the sick and deformed met in search of pity and help. It was more a great religious bacchanal, a Dionysian feast, to which people flocked as to

1075-503: The few which have survived in Calabria. The church has three naves; the central nave has the classic honeycomb ceiling decorated with solid gold leaf. The arches, resting on solid pillars, have been magnificently stuccoed by local craftsmen, while the scenes painted around the walls describe the life and miracles of the Virgin Mary . The original statue of the Madonna was carved in tufa by

1118-448: The first half of the fifth century BC, the Locrians demolished their archaic temple and rebuilt a new temple in the Ionic style . The temple was designed by Syracusan architects around 470 BC, based on the idea of Hiero I of Syracuse . The new temple occupies the same place as the previous one but it has a different orientation. The temple was destroyed in the 11th century. The dimensions of

1161-598: The goddess, made in series and painted with bright colors, animated by scenes connected to the myth of Persephone. Many of these pinakes are now on display in the National Museum of Magna Græcia in Reggio Calabria. Locrian pinakes represent one of the most significant categories of objects from Magna Graecia, both as documents of religious practice and as works of art. In the iconography of votive plaques at Locri, her abduction and marriage to Hades served as an emblem of

1204-549: The locality several state schools – including Elementary Schools, High Schools, Lyceums, and Vocational Schools – as well as private schools and two private English language schools . The city boasts a National Museum and an Archaeological Park, two cinemas, two cultural centres, a theatre, and a library. In Locri you will find many shops, restaurants, pizzerias, fast food outlets, pubs, bars, cafeterias, patisseries, farm restaurants, fruit and vegetable market halls, florists, supermarkets, and shopping malls. You also have facilities for

1247-497: The main altar. The golden crowns were first placed on the heads of the Madonna and Child in 1860, when the father superior, Domenico Fera , to celebrate the three hundredth anniversary of the arrival of the statue in the Sanctuary in 1560. The origins of the cult at Polsi go back to well before the Medieval era, archaeologists today believe. They have found pinakes or votive clay artefacts manufactured in pre-Roman times by settlers from

1290-506: The marital state, children at Locri were dedicated to Persephone, and maidens about to be wed brought their peplos to be blessed. During the Pyrrhic Wars (280-275 BC) fought between Pyrrhus of Epirus and Rome , Locris accepted a Roman garrison and fought against the Epirote king. However, the city changed sides numerous times during the war. Bronze tablets from the treasury of its Olympeum,

1333-432: The meeting for the unity of the whole 'Ndrangheta was underestimated for a long time. Bosses from outside Calabria, from as far as Canada and Australia, regularly attend the fall meetings at the Sanctuary of Polsi, an indication that the 'ndrine around the world perceive themselves as being part of the same collective entity. In 2007, fewer people attended the religious festival due to fears and tensions resulting from

San Luca - Misplaced Pages Continue

1376-537: The nearby Hellenic colony of Locri , that indicate the existence of a female fertility cult associated with Persephone . After Christianity was introduced to Italy, Basilian monks founded a hermitage in the 7th century celebrating Greek rites in honour of the Madonna until the Roman Catholic Church expelled them and imposed the Latin rite in the late 15th century. The pilgrimage to Polsi has ancient origins and

1419-471: The people of Aspromonte and it has also been an important site to migrants from Calabria and Messina . Many elements date back to pagan rites from the ancient Magna Græcia culture, the bases of which are still evident in the soul and language of Calabria – older people in the villages around the sanctuary still speak Griko . Until not very long ago, when the statue of Our Lady was taken out in procession, grain and flowers used to be thrown around it; this

1462-573: The plural of Λοκρός ( Lokros , "a Locrian"), ἐπί ( epí , "on"), Ζέφυρος ( Zéphuros , " West Wind "), thus "the Western Locrians") was founded about 680 BC on the Italian shore of the Ionian Sea , near modern Capo Zefirio, by the Locrians , apparently by Opuntii (East Locrians) from the city of Opus , but including Ozolae (West Locrians) and Lacedaemonians . Its Latin name, Locri ,

1505-409: The sound of religious chants played by portable amplifiers. Most people now prefer to go back home after they have reached the church and completed their thanksgiving prayers – most attend the festival only on the day of the procession. The chiefs of the Calabrian criminal consortium, the 'Ndrangheta , have held annual meetings, called crimini , at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi. Already in 1903,

1548-414: The surf of the sea rose a mingled music of pipes, harmonicas, violins, guitars and Basque tambourines.” Those who attended the festival remained by the sanctuary for a few days. People had to camp in the valley. The contemporary festival is very different. The long walk has almost disappeared and nobody dances on the way. People now drive to the sanctuary, mainly by truck – and the journey is accompanied by

1591-422: The temple were 45.5 by 19.8 metres (149 by 65 ft). The cella is free of supports on the central axes. The pronaos had two columns. The temple has seventeen Ionic columns on the long side, and six on the front. The height of the temple was 12 metres (39 ft). According to Italian scholar Margherita Guarducci , the famous Ludovisi Throne comes from the temple of Aphrodite of Locri Epizephyrii, where it

1634-491: Was built. Outside the city there are several necropoleis , some of which are very large. Its renowned lawgiver Zaleucus decreed that anyone who proposed a change in the laws should do so with a noose about their neck, with which they should be hanged if the amendment did not pass. Plato called it "The flower of Italy", due to the local peoples' characteristics. Locris was the site of two great sanctuaries, that of Persephone and of Aphrodite . Perhaps uniquely, Persephone

1677-527: Was founded by Roger II of Sicily in 1144. The church and monastery are situated in a spectacular setting at the bottom of a gorge at an altitude of 865 metres surrounded by high mountains on the east side of the Montalto (1,955 metres), the highest peak of the Aspromonte. The sanctuary is difficult to reach. Until some years ago Polsi could only be reached by foot. The sanctuary is a Basilian convent – one of

1720-465: Was on foot. Many inhabitants joined the Italian diaspora to escape the extreme poverty. San Luca is considered to be the stronghold of the 'Ndrangheta , a Mafia -type criminal organisation based in Calabria. According to a former 'ndranghetista , "almost all the male inhabitants belong to the 'Ndrangheta, and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi has long been the meeting place of the affiliates, known as

1763-482: Was securely linked to the newly studied Ionic temple at Marasà, in Locri. A reconstruction of the throne was shown to fit exactly into remaining blocks in the temple's foundations, and it has been suggested that terracotta votive plaques, or pinakes, of cults at Locri Epizephyrii, are the only stylistic parallel to the Throne. The marble sculpture, in its bas-relief decoration, represents on the front side Aphrodite born from

San Luca - Misplaced Pages Continue

1806-538: Was used as the parapet of the bothros . This theory is strengthened by the measures of the sculpture which fit perfectly together with the three great stones of the covering of the bothros ; stones still existing and open to visits inside the archaeological area of the Temple of contrada Marasà. The theatre was built in the fourth century BC not far from the ancient city, in the Contrada Pirettina, taking advantage of

1849-462: Was worshiped as protector of marriage and childbirth, a role usually assumed by Hera , and Diodorus Siculus knew the temple there as the most illustrious in Italy. In the early centuries Locris was allied with Sparta , and later with Syracuse . It founded two colonies of its own, Hipponion and Medma . During the 5th century BC , votive pinakes in terracotta were often dedicated as offerings to

#815184