madonna feet

The adventure of the Madonna of the River ( Madonna del Fiume ) began as many of my Italian adventures have with a telephone call from my friend Anna Maria Polidori. Anna speaks very good English but it is spoken with a delightful Italian accent. In person, I have no difficulties understanding everything she says, Over the telephone, however, I often get lost in the rapid fire, Italian accented English
This day was no different. I only knew that there was a special ceremony of dedication somewhere in the area and I should arrive at her house in the late afternoon to attend. My previous adventures with Anna Maria had always been delightful, so I did not hesitate in accepting
The site of this ceremony was a rustic park located adjacent to a small river. The park is located just 3 or 4 miles from my house but I had not stumbled upon it before. Gathered here were over one hundred residents of Morena, Salceto Lame and other small villages in the surrounding countryside. The priest, Don Bruno, was also present
The ceremony itself was for the dedication of a statute of the Madonna, named the Madonna of the River because of its location. The sculpture was the work of a local stonemason, Luigi Martinelli. Luigi had, some time before, found a very large piece of rock, probably 3 feet square at the base and at least 10 feet tall
I do not know if the rock was shaped to resemble an obelisk or whether Luigi chiseled the rock into its overall shape. On one side, however, Luigi carved a relief sculpture of the Madonna. Carved with utmost simplicity, the piece of art is humbling in its beauty and strength