This small and exceptionally rare volume, La Madonna Odigitria by Father Francesco Fazio, represents the fruit of a fortunate meeting between four enlightened minds inspired by the Hodegetria.
The volume was printed in 1921 through the determination of Sister Nicolina Carnesi, Mother Superior of the Collegio di Maria, who took on the printing costs, and Papas Zefi Petta, chaplain of the Church of the Odigitria. The Albanian translations were provided by Professor Giuseppe Schirò. It is an extremely rare work, as only five original copies remain.
The book was penned by the well-known preacher Father Fazio, who arrived in Piana dei Greci (as Piana degli Albanesi was then called) in May 1920 to preach the glories of Mary. To deepen his studies, Father Fazio visited the Sanctuary of the Madonna Odigitria, where he met Papas Petta. Admiring the preacher's meticulous research on the cult and devotion of Most Holy Mary Odigitria—still venerated under the title of Itria across nearly all of Sicily—Papas Petta forged an immediate bond of mutual admiration with him. He provided Father Fazio with every detail, pious legend, photograph, and source available to help him capture a vivid testimony of the deep-rooted cult of the Madonna Odigitria in Piana dei Greci.
The scholar realized at once that since the community's founding, the Madonna Odigitria had served as a sacred palladium for its people. He aimed to publish a book that would keep this devotion alive, both for the local residents and for those who had begun emigrating to the United States during those years.
At this juncture, the Most Reverend Sister Maria Nicolina Carnesi, Superior of the Collegio di Maria, stepped in, funding the publication of the booklet using the Convent's resources. The text combined Father Fazio's writing, Papas Zefi Petta's collaboration, and the Albanian translations by the illustrious Professor Giuseppe Schirò (whose work Canti Sacri delle Colonie Albanesi di Sicilia had previously been published thanks to the same Convent).
Father Fazio's volume is a remarkably timeless and unmissable treasury of history, details, photographs, and insights into the cult of the Madonna Odigitria of Piana degli Albanesi—a small treasure that belongs in any fine library.
By purchasing this volume, you directly support the Museum of the Collegio di Maria in Piana degli Albanesi.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VOLUME'S TEXT IS WRITTEN IN ITALIAN, WITH SELECTED TEXTS TRANSLATED INTO ALBANIAN AND GREEK.
