L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 8 ELIZABETH SALTHOUSE C rossroads and street corners have long been the haunt of peddlers, pickpock- ets and prostitutes. And as far back as ancient Roman times images of deities have been hung there to protect passers by from evil. Today over 500 statues and images of the Madonna still adorn Rome's his- toric street corners, gazing down benevolently as the faithful mumble a quick prayer. But there used to be many, many more. This is the story of Rome's Madonelle, the Madon- nas of the street. Anyone who's ever been to the Eternal City will probably have seen at least one or two madonelle in their travels; after all you hardly have to walk far, especially in the historic center, without finding one. And chances are they've not given them a second glance or thought. But Rome's madonelle hold a special place in the hearts of Romans. And they've been around so long that they've become an intrinsic part of the fabric of life. So when did they start? The origins of these treasured shrines go back centuries, back beyond the birth of the Christian church and could even be sug- gested to go back beyond the Roman Empire to the forefathers of Italy itself; the archaic Etr- uscans. The Etruscans were a religious people with polytheistic pagan and ancestral beliefs. They were a people devoted to their religious customs. When the Romans arrived on the scene, they adopted many of the Etruscan gods and traditions, especially those concerned with divination. Like their neighbors Ancient Roman society was a pagan one, worshipping many gods. At first they worshipped earthy animalistic spirits that inhabited every living thing. Romans also believed that their ancestors watched over them with families worshipping their household gods as protectors. They had images of their deities everywhere, from the little house altar to the enormous temples in the Forum, from statues in piaz- zas to high up on the temple roofs. And there was one partic- ular Roman practice that relates directly to our madonelle: the custom of employing lares. A lare was originally a farm god, a guardian of the land. Over the years, lares were brought indoors and the deities grew in number so that by the time of the late Roman Empire there were many. They were central to a family meal, household and local neighborhood events. Junctions were particularly thought to attract lowlifes, evil spirits, ghouls and demons that would haunt the corners and attack late night pedestrians. So statues of local lares were sited there in little shrines or compi- tales as focal points for prayers and to cast their protection over the area. As Christianity started to take hold the nascent church looked upon Roman faith suspiciously. But the idea of having public devotional imagery was deep set in the people so the church grad- ually adopted the same practice, arguably bridging the transition between paganism and Christian- ity just as the Romans had adopt- ed Etruscan customs centuries before. Both the ancient and modern are located high up on buildings, where they can easily be seen, as long as you don't walk around gazing at your feet! Both cast a wide protective arc over the building on which they're set and the street below, still typically a crossroads or junction, and they have spiritual importance for the faithful residents. And both are miniature works of art, whether they're statues, mosaics or paint- ings. The parallels are palpable with one important difference: Rome's madonelle depict just one devotional icon, the Madon- na, not many. At one time it's thought that there were more than many thou- sands of madonelle defending the streets of the Italian capital. The pure and sacred images looking down on the streets must have silently witnessed all manner of sacrilegious acts, enough to make the Virgin Mary blush. And although many are long gone, demolished with their old buildings or moved indoors for protection, there are still thought to be a few hundred watching over the cobbled streets simulta- neously asserting the power of the church institution and offer- ing spiritual protection and com- fort, too. But that's not all. Long before the commune of Rome introduced public street lighting as a standard amenity across the city the church took the revolutionary step of installing oil lamps to light some of the madonelle. The lamps act as spotlights, illuminating the beauty of Our Lady whilst cast- ing out the evil spirits often believed to emerge from under- ground after dark. Keeping the lamps lit became a devotional act for locals plus the lamps often guided late night revelers back to their lodgings safely. An added practical bonus for all although it sometimes backfired, attracting the very thieves and prostitutes the lamps were intended to repel! Over the years the Madonelle were exposed to the elements – and a few unsavory characters too – so the church tried to encourage the relocation of the shrines indoors, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries, hence why Rome's churches have so many images of the Lady these days. But Romans had lived with beautiful devotional imagery on their streets for centuries and weren't about to relinquish them. So those altars that remained were given small roofs to shelter the statues, glass frames to pro- tect the paintings or stone carved surrounds to better shield and emphasize the icons. And so the madonelle persist today inspired by ancient reli- gions, celebrating a two thousand year old female icon and lit by modern electrical lights. Some are even honored with flowers from local worshippers if they have a head for heights and a pair of stepladders. And whilst its true that not all are works of arts, masterpieces of famous artists or even noticed by passers by they do still offer spiritual solace, comfort and protection for many in their neighborhoods. So next time you happen to be walking through Rome's historic center, spare a thought or even a prayer for the madonelle that brave all weathers lighting the dark streets and filling the hearts of their parishioners every single day. Now that's devotion. Madonelle, the Madonnas of the Street LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Madonelle are located high up on buildings, where they can easily be seen The origins of Madonelle dates back to pre-Roman times

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