The Madonna dell'Arco and the punishment she gave to the woman who offended her image
La Madonna of the Arch is a popular religious cult that originated in the municipality of Sant'Anastasia, in the province of Naples. According to legend, the cult dates back to 1452, when a woman called Vincenza Pagano returned home from the field with a load of wine.
In carrying the heavy cask, vincenza he tripped and fell, knocking over the bottle. Suddenly, an image of Our Lady appeared in the sky, revealing her presence and offering her protection.
Vincenza and her neighbors were then inspired to build one chapel in honor of the Madonna dell'Arco on the place where the figure had appeared. Over the following centuries, the chapel was enlarged and became an important pilgrimage center for the Catholic faithful. The statue of the Madonna now resides in the Church of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Arco, built in 1582.
The Madonna punishes Aurelia del Greco
Aurelia del Prete she was a woman who lived not far from the church dedicated to the Madonna. One day she cut wood and injured her foot. At that moment she made a vow to Our Lady. She told him that if he would heal her in return she would give her one pair of feet in wax. On the morning of Easter Monday 1589, he went to the church with a little pig in his hand, which he intended to sell at the market. But the little pig never arrived at its destination.
Aurelia, thinking she had lost him, began to swear in front of the sacred image of the Madonna. Shortly after, she found the little pig nearby.
The following year, an inexplicable disease at the feet it hit the woman and despite the cures, between Easter Sunday and Monday, her feet of they disconnected definitely from the legs.
The woman on the day she went to the market, had failed to respect to the sacred image and had offended it by smashing the wax face which she had given to the Madonna for the miraculous healing of her husband. Her illness had been the just reward for the lack of gratitude for all the good done by the Madonna dell'Arco.