Our Lady of Bonaria, protector of Sardinia and sailors. The sanctuary of Cagliari which is one of the most important places of worship on the island. The story of the Virgin of Bonaria is closely linked with that of Buenos Aires. In fact it is said that the wooden statue of the Madonna venerated in the Sardinian capital reached Cagliari by sea. Always according to the stories handed down for centuries and which combine history and legend, the Spanish conquerors in Cagliari were able to know and appreciate the cult of the miraculous Madonna di Bonaria. An emblematic name that the Hispanic navigators would later give to the city of Buenos Aires in Argentina, in the so-called 'new world'.
On September 13, 1907, Pope Pius X proclaims the Madonna di Bonaria patron saint of Sardinia. On 7 September 2008, Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the centenary of the proclamation by presiding over the solemn Eucharistic celebration, during his pastoral visit to Cagliari. And again, on 23 September 2013, Pope Francis made his first pastoral visit to Cagliari by visiting the shrine of the Virgin which gave its name to his city of origin. Another pope of the twentieth century, St. John Paul II, who visited the ancient sanctuary and the basilica, concluded his three-day pastoral visit to Sardinia on 20 October 1985 in the presence of Our Lady of Bonaria.
Our Lady of Bonaria
According to legend, a ship that left Catalonia in March 1370 was hit by a strong storm. The crew then decides to throw the cargo overboard to have less ballast on board. Among the many coffers abandoned among the waves, one lands on the Cagliari coast. To recover it are some friars who find inside the statue of the Madonna with Child in her arms and a candle in the other hand. Thus was born the place of worship dedicated to Our Lady of Bonaria. The sanctuary is a small church of the fourteenth century, flanked by an imposing basilica built later, between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
This is the period in which the Sardinia is dominated by the Aragonese, who donate the construction of the sacred building toOrder of Santa Maria della Mercede in 1335. A convent was assigned to the friars which still houses the religious order today. Over the years, the construction of the sanctuary underwent several changes, so much so that in 1704 the Mercedari friars decided to dedicate a basilica to be built next to the sanctuary to the Madonna di Bonaria. Currently, the basilica, in neoclassical style, can be reached after a long staircase placed on a wide esplanade. The interior is in Catalan Gothic style, with a single nave; on the left there are three chapels, while on the right an arch connects the two buildings of worship.
The sword and the boat
There are many stories that attest to the ancient cult of the faithful for the Madonna di Bonaria. Also according to popular belief, a soldier devoted to playing cards asks the Madonna to let him win. If victory does not come, he will strike it with the sword. Unfortunately luck does not smile to the player who actually hits the statue of the Virgin with the sword. Blood gushes from the sacred effigy and the player is paralyzed. In this regard, it is said that for several centuries it was possible to admire the sword of the misdeed next to the statue of the Virgin.
Another very famous legend is that of the ivory boat, an ex-voto donated to the Madonna by the faithful. THEn practice the fishermen, before embarking, went to greet and pray to Our Lady of Bonaria. During the prayer, the little boat hanging from the statue's neck began to move. From its oscillating movement the sailors understood what the direction of the winds would be and therefore how to best organize themselves for their outings at sea.
On the cover the sacred effigy of the patroness of Sardinia - photo Facebook Madonna di Bonaria
