'R' for 'ROSARY'

I visited the Shrine of the Virgen of the Rosary of Pompeii
for the first time in 2005. My great-grandmother
Diamante was very devoted to the Rosary.  

My great-grandmother Diamante was very devoted to the Rosary. Both my great-grandparents were part of the Confraternity of the Rosary in Deruta. 

This confraternity must have been very influent in town as the only chapel in the Church of St. Francis in Deruta is dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii. 

I am showing here the most popular image of the Virgin of the Rosary. From the iconographic point of view, we may notice the trees of life's structure: here we have two Saints adoring the Virgin and Child, on a lower level and facing each other.  

Reconstruction of Pompeii. the city was buried under a
pyroplastic ash flow from Mount Vesuvius. A movie
coming in theaters next week! 

A classical rosary chain.  The rosary is a Marian prayer.
It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It goes back to
the Renaissance period in Italy. 

The Virgin of the Rosary devotion is originally from Pompeii (Naples). The Feast day is October 7th. A movie celebrating Pompeii will be in theaters Thursday, February 20th. I can't miss it! 

It is interesting to know that the Confraternity of the Rosary was first established in 1470 in the Renaissance period and approved by  Pope Sixtus IV in 1479.

A litany was approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587 as a later addition. 

It is important to know that the prayer of the rosary was brought back as a tradition in the late 1800s. This tradition had been lost. It came back along with the interest in Renaissance arts & crafts. Research and passion for arts & crafts would eventually take the plunge in the 1920s also known as the second Renaissance period in Italy and Europe. 



                                                                           

American Robin 

ROAR STANDS FOR ROBIN:  My new series of posts is inspired by my name: Roberta.

Robin's new borns
This is what I mean by roar. So sweet!

       

American Robin's eggs 

                          

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Castello di AMA: the chapel's ceiling (Siena, Italy)

TURRIS DAVIDICA (David's Tower) 

STELLA MATUTINA (tr. Morning Star) 

TURRIS EBURNEA (tr. ivory tower)

ROSA MYSTICA (tr. mystical rose) 

This ceiling is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The four suns contain symbols and invocations that are known as litanies. In this case in particular it is a specific litany that became the Holy Rosary's closing prayer. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary was originally approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V.  The classical litany is recited as a call and response chant in a group setting. Herewith follows the prayer's body - the invocations - to which the ceiling is related. 

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
INVOCATIONS IN LATIN 

Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis.
Sancta Dei Genetrix, ora pro nobis.
Sancta Virgo virginum, ora pro nobis.
Mater Christi, ora pro nobis.
Mater Ecclesiae, ora pro nobis.
Mater divinae gratiae, ora pro nobis.
Mater purissima, ora pro nobis.
Mater castissima, ora pro nobis.
Mater inviolata, ora pro nobis.
Mater intemerata, ora pro nobis.
Mater amabilis, ora pro nobis.
Mater admirabilis, ora pro nobis.
Mater boni consilii, ora pro nobis.
Mater Creatoris, ora pro nobis.
Mater Salvatoris, ora pro nobis.
Mater misericordiae, ora pro nobis.
Virgo prudentissima, ora pro nobis.
Virgo veneranda, ora pro nobis.
Virgo praedicanda, ora pro nobis.
Virgo potens, ora pro nobis.
Virgo clemens, ora pro nobis.
Virgo fidelis, ora pro nobis.
Speculum iustitiae, ora pro nobis.
Sedes sapientiae, ora pro nobis.
Causa nostrae laetitiae, ora pro nobis.
Vas spirituale, ora pro nobis.
Vas honorabile, ora pro nobis.
Vas insigne devotionis, ora pro nobis.
Rosa mystica, ora pro nobis.
Turris Davidica, ora pro nobis.
Turris eburnea, ora pro nobis.
Domus aurea, ora pro nobis.
Foederis arca, ora pro nobis.
Ianua caeli, ora pro nobis.
Stella matutina, ora pro nobis.
Salus infirmorum, ora pro nobis.
Refugium peccatorum, ora pro nobis.
Consolatrix afflictorum, ora pro nobis.
Auxilium Christianorum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Angelorum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Patriarcharum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Prophetarum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Apostolorum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Martyrum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Confessorum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Virginum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Sanctorum omnium, ora pro nobis.
Regina sine labe originali concepta, ora pro nobis.
Regina in caelum assumpta, ora pro nobis.
Regina sacratissimi Rosarii, ora pro nobis.
Regina familiae, ora pro nobis.
Regina pacis, ora pro nobis.

I wish to thank Marilyn for taking the ceiling's picture for me. Marilyn and her husband Bruce invited me to visit Castello di Ama last fall. I had never been there before. Besides being a magic place, the first thing that caught my attention was its name: AMA rhymes with CAMA.

The chapel's ceiling at Castello di Ama. Photo details of the four suns following below:

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"C" for "Chapel"

Upon receipt of this photo from a Cama friend, I had the opportunity of having a closer look at it. This cealing belongs to the small chapel at Castello di Ama (Siena). 

I wish to share a Renaissance art curiosity I found out in this ceiling. When I visited back in the fall I didn't notice the contents of the four symbols inscribed in the suns. Nor did read the writings.They are symbols and invocations to the Virgin Mary, part of the rosary prayer. 

Herewith invocations follow clockwise. They are written in Latin:  1. Turris Davidica (symbol: tower. tr. David's tower); 2. Stella matutina (symbol: raising sun. tr.morning star); 3: Turris Eburnea (symbol: Tower. tr. Ivory tower); 4. Rosa Mystica (symbol: rose. tr. mystical rose); 


More information and close-up pictures in a new blog post.   (to be continued...) 

 



This is my second edition  of short  stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with the letter "C". 

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"C" for "Cedar Chest"

Cruciani is trend company in Italy making lace
bracelets since  1992. 

I had almost forgotten about my dream of having an Italian company sponsor my start up business. 

I had dreamt about specific companies starting with the letter 'C' to match 'Cama'. They were the following: Cucinelli, Cruciani and Caprai. 

What's most interesting is that at the end I wished I could get in touch with the trendiest of these companies: 'Cruciani'. It produces lace bracelets and is linked to their original textile company: Arnaldo Caprai. That's where my mother bought my wedding dowry of beautiful sheets back in the 1970s. My wedding sheets are covered with all these bracelets!  

I have no idea how to catch Cruciani's attention. They use famous people as testimonial for their bracets. I wish I were famous. Who knows if the fact that my family was a very good customer may be of interest for them? That's exactly what I was thinking of.  It could be a good start for a conversation but above all a good story for me to share. I would cover them in gold! 

Cruciani is a spin-off of company of their textile industry called
Arnaldo Caprai. They are famous for their wedding dowries.

This is my second edition  of short  stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with the letter "C". 

Like & Share Friends of Cama on facebook. Join the change. Lay on the favorite! 

"C" for "CHANEL N.5"

I love Gabrielle Chanel because she thought out of the box.  

Yesterday for the first time in my life I paid a visit to a Chanel store. I had never dared to enter such a luxury store before. But yesterday I was feeling like a princess for a few good reasons. 

I was dressed nicely and shop assistants were kind to me. I smiled back to them and when I got to the youngest one, in order not to get her hopes up on sales commissions she would never receive, I added that I could not afford anything in their store. The only thing I could afford I was wearing it already: my Chanel n.5.  

I added that the reason for my visit was that Gabrielle Chanel is my favorite entrepreneur. I was so proud of myself. She smiled back to me and welcomed me to their store. Eccellent customer service. As the line goes: 'Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you wanna get' (Forrest Gump) 

p.s. I didn't add that this perfume was a gift from my fiancé and that for the first time in my life I was wearing an eau de parfum. Usually it was an eau de toilette. A good step forward. What would I do without you, my love! 

This is my second edition  of short  stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with the letter "C" 

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