The call came a few days earlier to inform him that Madonna, the famous Italian-American pop star, would be visiting the Basilica of Santa Lucia. Fra’ Daniele Cugnata, Rector of the Sanctuary of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro, who was a fan of his as a boy, got off to a good start but progressed well to, along with the other brothers, host this unexpected arrival of international music stars.
“Madonna was the idol of many generations – said the monk the day after – before entering the monastery I sang her songs, so it was a nice and great feeling to have her in front of me.” News of Madonna’s arrival in Borgata remained confidential and the basilica was armored before her arrival to avoid crowds of spectators and fans.
Madonna’s goal was to admire the work of Caravaggio displayed on the main altar of the church.
“Art connects, connects and that’s the beauty”, demands Fra’ Cugnata, who accompanied Madonna during the twenty-minute visit to the basilica and then accompanied her to Lucia’s tomb through the basement. «She became curious when she looked at Caravaggio’s canvas – says Fra Daniele – and was struck by the play of light on the canvas. He wanted to know why Lucia had been beheaded. We replied that she was executed because she was a Christian, because she had made her courageous decisions and therefore had died by order of Diocletian ».
“It was also a good moment when we went to the tomb – says Fra Daniele – and we let her understand, through the translator, the importance of this sacred place both for the Syracusans and for the whole world, because the tomb of a martyr of Lucia’s reach is important “.
With the visit of Madonna, the Basilica of Santa Lucia is known in international circles not only by faith.
«In itself – corrects Fra Daniele – Caravaggio’s canvas attracts many tourists who visit the basilica these days to admire the work. It is clear that a personality of global importance like Madonna arriving here is another flap in the visibility of this church. But I can tell you that the reception was nice. We brothers welcomed this celebrity with a Franciscan spirit, just as we welcome all the people we welcome every day with simplicity and with “peace and goodness ».
After the visit, Madonna got stuck in one of the waiting vans and eluded a large number of onlookers who had meanwhile gathered in front of the portico of the sanctuary. His day in Syracuse continued in Ortigia with an aperitif at Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco, a stroll through the alleys and a very armored dinner in the historic center of Arezzo. The American pop star visited Marzamemi, Noto and then Syracuse while on vacation in Syracuse to celebrate her birthday. With the implications it has for the city and the visibility achieved thanks to a very social artist.
Madonna made a fixed stop at the Feudo Castelluccio in Noto (Syracuse), moving by car or boat.
The property belongs to Luisa Beccaria, Milanese stylist, friend of the pop star, wife of the nobleman Lucio Bonaccorsi. An 18th-century village immersed in the Neto countryside where the singer organized an exclusive party for a hundred guests. On his Instagram profile with the title “Sicilian clan” with the Italian flag, he posted the moments of his trip to Sicily. With a walk in Marzamemi, a seaside village of Pachino, where it was besieged by the crowd who saw it parading with friends, relatives and bodyguards in tow. Madonna, who arrived by boat, went to Piazza Regina Margherita where she was greeted by hundreds of people.
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