| Our Lady of Victories |
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Roger carried it in every battle, praying the Holy Virgin Mary for protection, which is almost certain he received, seeing that in a short period he took over the entire island of Sicily, freeing it from the horrible Arab domination. It is certain that the protection of the sacred image was the determining factor in the battle to free the town of Plutia, today Piazza Armerina, which was strongly defended by the Arabs. Count Roger, in an impulse of generosity, donated the Byzantine image of the Madonna of Victories to the little town that had given him a triumphal welcome after he had driven out the Saracens that until that time had been their undesired governors. During the reign of “Guglielmo I il Malo” the banner was placed in a box and buried to hide it from the fury of the soldiers that were destroying the town that rebelled against the king. For a long time, all traces of the sacred effigy were lost, until, in 1348, Our Lady appeared to a local priest, a certain Giovanni Candilia, and indicated him the exact location of where the box was buried; the recovered image of the Madonna, praised by the believers that asked for the end of the plague that was killing the population, soon gave proof of Her benevolence, by making the miracle and ending the terrible punishment. The one hair found inside the box, which is said to belong to Our Lady, is still kept under custody in a silver showcase. In honor of Our Lady of Victories, a sanctuary was built where the box was found, in locality Piazza Vecchia, which has become a place of pilgrimage and where a feast is held each year on the 3rd of May, when the copy of the banner is carried in a procession to the Sanctuary. The feast day of the Madonna of Victories is on 15th August, coinciding with the feast of the Madonna dell'Assunta, Patron Saint of the Diocese of Piazza Armerina.
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