Speaking of which … only in Italy can the Madonna cure the relentless obscenity that spills out of the football stands, even in a part of the country noted for the ‘turpiloquio facile dei suoi abitanti’ – the fluent foul language of its inhabitants.
At San San Donà di Piave on the Venetian mainland, the local team decided to do something about the filthy chants and shouts of players and fans alike. Fearing the worst in a match against Jesolo, they hung a giant poster of the Virgin Mary on their side of the pitch. You can see a picture of it here.
The directors of the società sportiva Mussetta 2010 explained to a local newspaper, ‘La Madonna rientra nel nostro progetto di sensibilizzazione dei calciatori e del pubblico per una partita corretta e senza bestemmie’ – The Madonna is part of our awareness projects for the football players and the public about the importance of a well-run match without blasphemy.’
Standing at almost two metres in height, the Madonna was placed beside the seats in the little stadium known as Lillo Burigotto, Mussetta. Maria dell’Assunta is a symbol not only of the parish of Mussetta but also of its inhabitants. Davide Finotto, a player for many years, explained ‘For us, Maria dell’Assunta is like the statue of Liberty for the United States
By a miracle, the footballers’ and fans’ potty-mouths were cured.
Now the work needs to move on to Montegrotto near Padova where the mayor was obliged to close a little football field near a church because of the imprecations that issued from it.
I myself keep a postcard of a Byzantine icon by a chest of drawers with a sharp corner on which I frequently separate my bare toes, as my cats are still young and impressionable.
Does anyone else deploy imagery from history, mythology or religion to help them abstain from anything that they oughtn’t to do or say? Or to help them in their daily life?
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