Lazise Fishermen Honor Madonna del Popolo in Historic San Nicolò
Celebrated the “Madonna del Popolo”, which is the Madonna of the Rosary. In Lazise, this feast has been held since 1950, initiated by the fishermen, on the old port, in the beautiful little church of San Nicolò, built by the class of the Originari in the tenth century. San Nicolò is venerated as the protector of sailors and schools.
It is precisely San Nicolò who has always been the point of reference for the fishermen in Lazise, for those who practice fishing as a profession, to “sustain” their lives and families. Overlooking the San Nicolò church is the Byzantine-style Madonna of the external tabernacle, which, according to don Giovanni Agostini, is believed to date from the thirteenth century.
This image of the Madonna was discovered in 1926 and is layered over an even older one. The fishermen have associated themselves with this figure as a sign of “protection” during their perilous daily journeys “by lake,” casting their nets for fishing.
To feel closer to the maternal protection of Madonna del Popolo, each year the fishermen, together with the parish priest and many faithful, celebrate a holy mass dedicated “to the lake.” This year, it was celebrated for the first time by the new parish priest, don Alessandro Pasquini, who recalled that the Compagnia della Madonna was rooted in San Nicolò as early as the fifteenth century.
It possessed assets, such that during the sixteenth century, it lent considerable sums to the same municipality. It also performed acts of charity, aiding the poor with what was called “bread of the Madonna.” It was suppressed in 1806 by the government of the Regno Italico.
Its sacred furnishings were confiscated. Only the benefit of the little chapel was preserved, represented by about twenty fields in Verona, which unfortunately were sold in the early years of the twentieth century.
After the solemn celebration of the mass, don Alessandro blessed the lake and the fishermen as he left the church and passed through the port, adjacent to the historic Venetian customs house. The remaining fishermen, no more than three or four families still active, donated to the parish priest a basket full of catch from the day, as a sign of attachment and affection for the local shepherd.
Many fishermen who have passed away were remembered, including the recently deceased dean, Amelio Perinelli, who left a significant void among the community, now reduced to a handful.
