In December, a great celebration is held in Marino in honour of the patron Saint Lucia, one of the most loved saints of the Catholic Church and with a very special history.
She is the protector of the eyes, of the ophthalmologists, of the stonecutters and of the electricians.
On this day, in some towns of northern Europe and northern Italy (in the area between Verona and Bergamo) it was traditional to bring gifts to children.
It was said that Saint Lucia with her donkey and her coachman Castaldo brought gifts and sweets to the children who had behaved well.
And in the evening the families left a letter for the saint with a cup of milk and some biscuits, a plate of flour for the donkey and bread for Castaldo.
Saint Lucia was born in Syracuse in 283 and died in Syracuse on December 13, 314 at the time of Diocletian's persecutions.
She was from a noble family and after the death of her father, she had made a vow of poverty and chastity asking for a grace to make her seriously ill mother recover.
Her promised spouse did not believe this story and brought it before the prefect accusing her of being a Christian. She was subjected to incredible torture to the point of receiving a mortal blow with a sword.
Her body was first taken by the Turks who conquered Syracuse in 1040 and then recovered by the Venetians in 1204 who took her to the beautiful church of Santa Lucia, now near the railway station of Venice that is called Santa Lucia.
Legend has it that she had torn out her eyes alone so as not to fall into sin and that's why her name is connected to the eyes and light.
It should also be noted that December 13 was the day of the winter solstice, i.e. the one with least light, before the reform of the Gregorian calendar that moved it to December 21st.
Also on December 13th a swarm of asteroids passes near the earth (the Geminids) which is called familiarly by the name of 'Stars of Saint Lucia'.
During the day of Saint Lucia, the Christmas markets open in Marino while the religious celebrations include a special procession in the dark of young girls dressed in white until they reach the entrance to the church and the lighting of a candle returns the view.
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