The crucial information you need to know about the guardian statues of Saint Antonino around the city of the Sorrento.
By Julia Doyle and Adriana Beltrano
Saint Antonino was born near Ancona at the end of the eighth century and early on in his life he became a monk. During that time there were countless wars and endless chaos, causing Antonino to move to Castellamare, a town in Sorrento. There he lived a hermit-like life in an Oratory, only breaking his solitude at the invitation of the citizens of Sorrento. After moving to serve the citizens of Sorrento, he performed many miracles and eventually became their patron saint. Saint Antonino is now celebrated in Sorrento every February 14th, the anniversary of his death.
Basilica di Sant'Antonino
In commemoration of his miracles and assistance, there are two statues of Saint Antonino in the prominent squares of Sorrento. The statues specifically commemorate his miracle of saving a young boy from a sea monster. According to the story, the boy was playing on the beaches of Sorrento when a sea creature, or a whale, suddenly arose from the water and swallowed him whole. His terrified mother ran to the local monastery and begged Antonino to save her child. He granted her wish and brought the boy back completely unharmed. The statue shows the sea creature at the feet of both statues of Saint Antonino, representing his power over it.
Translated to English, the post of the statue at the Basilica di Sant'Antonino states:
To Abbot Sant’Antonino
That in the century fleeing the devastation of the Longobardi (Lombards) here sheltered and lived and then blessed in heaven his second homeland
Incessantly protected and preserved the municipality and the citizens
This statue is a document of votive gratitude and perennial faith from collective money
Saint Antonino lived from 555A. D.-625A.D. The Lombards besieged Sorrento during the second half of the 6th century and after the fall of the Roman Empire. Due to the protection of Sorrento's patron saint and the fact that he stayed in the region of Campania during the assaults on the city, the Lombards were unsuccessful in their invasion.
Protettore Di Sorrento
The second statue is located in Piazza Tasso and serves as the protector of the city. It stands in the middle of Via Luigi de Maio, diving the street into two like an island in a river. With his hand raised, Saint Antonino is a warning for all trespassers to pose no threat to the old city of Sorrento. It also commemorates his miracle of saving the young boy but depicts the sea creature very differently than the other statue. Where the other sea creature is more porpoise-like, this creature is more similar to a large fish. This demonstrates how although the overall message is the same, the story of the miracle varies depending on who is telling it. Another version claims that the sea monster was a whale. The alleged bones of the whale are now located within the lobby of the basilica itself to symbolize his victory and love of the people of Sorrento.
Interestingly enough, this miraculous incident wouldn't be the last time Sorrento would be visited by a whale. In January of 2021, a young fin whale flopped onto the port of Sorrento, thrashing its nose against the concrete and causing injuries to itself. It eventually fell back into the water in what is cited as one of the most shocking whale sightings in Italy. When divers searched for the whale's assumed corpse in the harbor, they instead found the much larger body of a whale that is assumed to be the baby whale's mother. The fin whale is the second largest animal on Earth, and the only cetacean to regularly inhabit the Mediterranean Sea. Through nature and religion, the story of Saint Antonino and the whale still strikes a cord with the people of Sorrento.
The baby whale (https://scienze.fanpage.it/la-balena-morta-a-sorrento-e-la-piu-grande-mai-spiaggiata-nel-mediterraneo-sparito-il-piccolo/)
The transparent plaque behind the statue states:
FIDELITATIS EXEMPLUM
Model of Fidelity
This plaque, donated to Sorrento, was placed on the arch of the Gate of the City looking towards its Plain.
It proved the title of "Loyal City" conferred to Sorrento by the king of Naples.
Fidelitatis Exemplum is also carved into the stone on the back of the protector statue. Saint Antonino is beloved for his loyalty to the city of Sorrento.
Original Locations of the Statues
Although the two statues currently reside outside of the Basilica and in Piazza Tasso, there is some evidence that those were not their original locations. Images of the past instead show Saint Antonino near the gates and the walls of the cities. It is thought that because he is known as protector of the city, he was placed in those locations in order to act as a guardian and defend the citizens from invaders and other outside threats.
Images of the Saint at the walls and gates:
Processions on February 14th
Lastly, another statue is used for the celebration of Saint Antonino's feast day each February 14th. On the eve of the feast, a silver statue of Saint Antonino is placed on the high altar of the Basilica looking out over the huge crowds that are eager to celebrate the anniversary of their abbot's death day, or his entrance into eternal life. During the actual festival, the statue is carried by sailors throughout the main streets of Sorrento. Finally, after traveling all throughout town, the statue is returned to the Basilica so that the archbishop can celebrate the Eucharist.
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