Sotoportego Zorzi 2

The residents of the courtyard followed the example of their predecessors and added dates to the inscription, imploring the Madonna for safety during enemy shelling, firstly from Austrian bombs (1849) and then from German forces during World War 1. It is said that faith bore fruit again and acted as a shield, as not one of the residents was harmed during any bombing.

It brings to mind that story told by Nick Hornby in ‘Fever Pitch’ whereby the group of young Arsenal fans go to the shop on the way to the match, buy a bag of boiled sweets, then drop them under a No.6 bus, which smashes them to smithereens and Arsenal win 6-0. So every week the lads go to the shop…(1).

On 1 May and 21 November, Our Lady of the Rosary is venerated in the Sotoportego di Corte Nova, with the place becoming a proper shrine, complete with flowers and candles. I’ll be there this year for sure, unless a (so-called) ISIS suicide bomber gets me first.

(1) Apologies, that’s a very hazily remembered bit of paraphrasing form ‘Fever Pitch’ by Nick Hornby 1998. Publisher: Riverhead Books ISBN-10: 1573226882