Our Lady of Rossano

https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-rossano.html 

August 25: Our Lady of Rossano, Calabria, Italy

It is said that the Saracens had come ashore with a raiding party near the Italian town of Rossano, probably in year 981.
Seeking to surprise slumbering inhabitants of town, they snuck up to walls & silently placed their ladders against them & began to climb.

When the first of them reached top, they were met & repulsed by Our Lady, who appeared attired in purple, while holding in her hand a lighted torch.

The sight of the glory of the heavenly Queen so terrified the invaders that they advanced no further & took to flight.
Thus, Muslims were driven from walls by Our Lady of Rossano, who appeared to save people of this town located in southern Italy in province of Calabria.

Rossano, or Roscianum as it was known in Roman times when it was an outpost of the budding empire, was thought to have actually been founded well over a millennium before the time of Christ.

The town experienced attacks from the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, & Lombards when Roman Empire fell in the west, although it was never subjugated by any enemy.

The town reached its peak of wealth & influence during 6th through 11th century when it was ruled by Byzantium.

Located near Gulf of Taranto, & being close to water, Rossano was subject to Muslim raids over following centuries.

The island of Sicily was conquered by Islamic forces in 10th century, & was used by them as a base of operations for raids into Italy & other vulnerable cities in region.

Although they gained small footholds here & there on Italian peninsula, Muslims weren't able to hold their possessions for long.

Toward end of 10th century the Emir Abu al-Qasim commenced a string of assaults into Calabria.
At same time a Muslim fleet under command of Emir’s brother made raids along coasts of Apulia, overwhelming unwary strongholds, looting towns & taking slaves.

Although Our Lady of Rossano commemorates the Marian apparition that saved Rossano, the town is probably most famous for an ancient image of the Blessed Virgin that can be seen in Cathedral of Our Lady Achiropita.

It is known as Madonna acheropita, or “The Madonna not made by hands.”

Like the Virgin de la Antigua of Seville, which was miraculously revealed to Saint Fernando III, the image of the Blessed Virgin holding the Christ Child was revealed beneath a layer of plaster in cathedral of Rossano, & has been dated to sometime between years 580 & 750 AD.