Info about Madonna of the fishermen

Thank you for purchasing the Souvenir of the Fishermen's Madonna, created by Andrea Gozzo in 2024.

In a wonderful glimpse of the Ionian Sea, looking out from the Terrace of the 2 Seas of Portopalo di Capo Passero, it is possible to appreciate the Madonnina "Stella Maris", also called the Madonnina of the fishermen".

It is a Marian statue located on the rocks, which you can reach on foot by crossing a small stone bridge.

Placed to protect the fishermen of Portopalo di Capo Passero and all sailors who cross the waters of the seaside village, the white Madonnina is placed on a reddish stone stele and faces towards the town.

In 2014, a plaque was affixed to the stele of the Madonna dei fishermen in memory of the tragic shipwreck which occurred on the night between 24 and 25 December 1996, due to which at least 283 immigrants lost their lives (men, women and children from India, Pakistan and Sinhalese), following a collision with a motor vessel during an attempted landing in Italy.

Shedding light on the tragedy was the then parish priest of the town, Don Calogero Palacino, always on the front line with a Christian spirit to welcome migrants and help the poor and needy.

Don Palacino fought with all his strength to recover the wreck of the vessel that sank in international waters off the coast of Portopalo di Capo Passero and recover the missing bodies for proper burial, until he collected thousands of signatures to send to Parliament to shed light about what happened, do not forget the victims of the shipwreck and offer a place of prayer for those who lost their lives at sea.

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