Greek Madonna (sculpture)

Historically, the image was probably made in a workshop in or near Constantinople and then brought from there to Italy either to escape iconoclasm or by a soldier on the First Crusade in the late 11th century.

Pietro degli Onesti had definitely built a church dedicated to Mary in the 12th century, Santa Maria in Porto Fuori, mentioned by Dante as a "house of Our Lady on the Lido Adriano"[1] and destroyed in an air-raid on 6 November 1944.

There he founded the "Sons and Daughters of Mary" to promote her cult on the anniversary of the image's legendary arrival and there he was buried.

Suddenly the apse of their church began to shine with light and - as it was too early for it to be sunlight - the monks went out onto the seaside to find its source.

The monks knelt to greet the Virgin Mary with prayers and songs and then exhorted Pietro to pick up the image.