Traveling Marian Images: Our Lady of Trapani between Spanish Sicily, Global Catholicism, and Imperial Aspirations

Abstract

In the twelfth century, a marble statue of the Virgin Mary miraculously arrived in the Sicilian harbor town of Trapani, gaining reverence across the Catholic world. The ensuing pilgrimage to the statue led to the widespread distribution of small alabaster replicas of the venerated Madonna. This article examines the mythical and factual trajectories of the Madonna di Trapani and her copies throughout the Mediterranean. This paper outlines the strategic fusion of legendary narratives and tangible mobility employed by viceroys, religious orders, and travelers to expand and consolidate the influence of the Catholic Church and the Spanish Crown during the Counter-Reformation.