Mamma d' 'o Carmene (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Who hasn't exclaimed it at least once in their life? Well, yes: behind this popular expression lies an icon — the strong bond with the religious image of the Madonna del Carmelo (Our Lady of Mount Carmel), also known as the "Madonna Bruna" (Brown Madonna) for her dark skin, reminiscent of Byzantine icons. But why is this Virgin so beloved by the Neapolitan people? What wonders does she reveal to us? To find out, we need to take a leap into the past. The cult of the Madonna del Carmine, or Madonna del Carmelo, is much older than one might think. In fact, it is mentioned in the Old Testament, in the First Book of Kings, which tells of the building of a church on Mount Carmel in Israel, following a series of events. Legend has it that some monks, fleeing the terrible persecutions of the Saracens in Palestine, arrived in Naples carrying with them the sacred image of the Madonna, originally venerated on Mount Carmel in Israel. Once in the city, they placed the sacred icon inside a grotto near the seafront, which in the past had been dedicated to the cult of San Nicola (Saint Nicholas). The temple dedicated to the Madonna del Carmine was built between 1283 and 1300, but subsequent renovations in the 17th and 18th centuries erased its original medieval appearance. The Madonna del Carmine was the object of great veneration by the Neapolitan people from the earliest times, and her strategic proximity to Piazza Mercato, the city's commercial heart, encouraged devotion among the humblest folk and helped spread her cult. Documents from 1457, when the cult reached its peak, record that the Neapolitans were deeply attached to the Madonna del Carmine, to whom they addressed both pleas and thanks.

Her feast day is fixed on 16 July, according to the Christian calendar, marked by a series of events that involve the old heart of Naples. The origin of this festival most likely dates back to 1500, when the icon of the Madonna Bruna was carried in procession to Rome, followed by miracles along the pilgrimage route. Accounts from the time tell of the famous "Incendio del Campanile" (Fire of the Bell Tower), also known as "castello" (castle), perhaps recalling the siege of the bell tower, which was used as a military fortress and was set alight with spectacular fireworks. The celebrations, which reached their peak in 1700 on the bicentenary of the Madonna Bruna's pilgrimage to Rome, became even more spectacular with the addition of illuminations, local firework displays and orchestral music. Naples, under the rule of Charles III of Bourbon, experienced a cultural and traditional renaissance, thanks also to the generous contribution of the royals and nobles who, through significant donations, ensured the continuation of the Festa del Carmine.

The icon of the Madonna Bruna, known to all, is probably the work of a master of the 13th-century Tuscan school, rather than, as was once thought, an artist of Eastern origin. The painting depicts the Virgin with the Child within a rectangular format, one metre high and 80 cm wide. Painted using the tempera technique, it portrays the Madonna and the infant Jesus in an attitude of sweet intimacy between mother and child, in a natural and complicit bond. For this reason it is called "l'immagine della tenerezza" (the image of tenderness), as it evokes a powerful emotional impact, born of prayer and contemplation, inspiring love and veneration for the Mother of God and of mankind. The Madonna's dark face evokes salvation, inspires protection and stirs feelings of piety and mercy in Christians. Within the painting one can make out numerous symbols that explain its message: the gold of the background and the halo indicate the holiness of Mother and Son, as well as their association with the Sun, symbol of divine light; the light blue colour of the mantle is linked to motherhood and symbolises water, a synonym for fertility. The red colour celebrates the triumph of the love that unites mother and newborn, just as the flesh-coloured tunic, representing the incarnation of Jesus, reminds us that he is the Lamb of God. The pendant star on the Madonna's mantle symbolises her perpetual virginity, before, during and after childbirth. Both figures gaze out at the viewer, expressing Jesus's redemptive mission and Mary's part in it. The whole scene is a succession of sweetness and infinite tenderness, in which the Virgin holds out her right hand in answer to our plea: "Mostraci Gesù, frutto benedetto..." ("Show us Jesus, blessed fruit..."), and points the way for us: "Ecco il cammino, la verità e la vita" ("Here is the way, the truth and the life").

The legend of the Miraculous Crucifix For the faithful of the Madonna del Carmine, this «miracle» attests to the authenticity of the love and protection that the Virgin Mary has bestowed upon the Neapolitan people for many centuries. The legend of the Miraculous Crucifix dates back to the 15th century, when the Angevins and the Aragonese were fighting over the kingdom of Naples and control of the city. King René d'Anjou, then ruling, in order to protect his territories against Alfonso of Aragon, who had entered the city, had his artillery positioned on the Bell Tower of the Carmine (the highest point in the city), turned into a military fortress, whose walls had been built in 1170. The guns were aimed at the enemy camp at Borgo Loreto. Legend and history tell us that on 17 October 1439 the infante Pietro (brother of King Alfonso) lit the fuse of a great cannon known as the «Messinese», that is, a huge cannonball (still preserved intact in the crypt of the Church of the Carmine), which broke through the walls of the church, passing through the apse until it struck the Crucifix. Everyone assumed the Crucifix had been completely or partially destroyed, only to witness an extraordinary event: to avoid the blow, the wooden figure of Christ bowed his head onto his right shoulder, suffering no damage whatsoever. A true miracle, as can still be seen today. The following day, the infante Pietro of Aragon, not satisfied, wanted to fire the Messinese again, but a shot fired from the bell tower (divine punishment?) from the cannon known as the "Pazza" ("The Mad One") struck off the infante Pietro's head, and after a series of struggles, King Alfonso brought the fierce battle to an end. On 2 June, King Alfonso of Aragon entered Naples in triumph and wished to go to the Carmine to venerate the Miraculous Crucifix, thereby making amends for his younger brother's thankless act, and had an important tabernacle dedicated to it. «(..following the Sunday at the hour of Vespers, the King, with the greatest triumph, went to the Venerable Church of the Carmine to see the miracle of the Most Holy Crucifix, which he devoutly worshipped, he, the Most Illustrious Indico d'Avalos, Grand Seneschal of the Kingdom, his brother, and two other noblemen, who attended the King, with great reverence pointed out to him the spot from where the cannonball had come. (…)» as recounted by Father Filocalo Caputo in his volume "Il Monte Carmelo" ("Mount Carmel"), 4th ed., Naples 1683. The tabernacle was erected after the death of King Alfonso, who on 26 December 1459 received the sacred image of the Crucifix; since then, every year on the day of the «svelazione» (unveiling) on 26 December, the famous Crucifix is displayed to the public for 8 days, until 2 January. The same ceremony takes place on the first Saturday of Lent, to commemorate the narrow escape from the terrible storm that struck Naples in 1676, which spared the city from disaster thanks to the intercession of the Crucifix. Both Piazza del Carmine and its namesake basilica have borne witness for centuries to the loud voices of the people, the endless battles of sovereigns, the joyful celebrations of popular tradition, and the atrocities that befell the most important historical figures of the kingdom. Among these, we recall the tragic fate of the young and valiant Corradino di Svevia (Conradin of Swabia), the last ruler of his dynasty, who was beheaded (according to the tradition recorded by Giovanni Frangipane) in the square on 29 October 1268, by order of Charles of Anjou. A moving story, a struggle between papacy and empire that is also described by Dante in the Divine Comedy, in Canto XX of Purgatorio. Corradino's remains rest in the Church of the Carmine, where centuries later a noble funerary monument was erected at the wish of Maximilian II of Bavaria, who honoured him fittingly. Every year, on the anniversary of his death, a memorial mass is celebrated in his honour in the Church of the Carmine. And to think that Hitler, obsessed with the occult and esotericism, in 1943 demanded the return of Corradino's remains to Germany to shape his "Pantheon degli Imperatori" ("Pantheon of Emperors"). Fortunately, thanks to the swift intervention of the Carmelite friars, who carefully covered the tombstone with large carpets, the SS soldiers were deceived and failed to carry off any of the long-desired loot. Corradino è nostro! (Corradino is ours!)