Suddenly in the winter night of 19th December 1996 the silence was broken by loud bangs and flashes of fireworks: it was the seven quarters of Recco greeting the proclamation by the Town Council of Our Lady of Intercession patron saint of Recco and 8th September a bank holiday for the town.
On the spur of that emotion I was inspired to a homage to Our Lady of Intercession and using several studies made years before I created the painting “…Fair as the Moon…” followed by two more paintings: “…Shining as the Sun…” and “…Like rising dawn…” that make up the Marian Tryptich “Faith, Colour and Light”.
In 2000 I painted the picture “Regina Pacis” as a memory of the Sanctuary, jubilar church. Thinking of the great patronal feast that involves so many people I couldn't but remember the numbers of men and women, young and less young, who make up he seven quarters of Recco: Bastia, Collodari, Liceto, Ponte, San Martino, Spiaggia and Verzemma.
My homage to the Virgin Mary was done thinking of them, of their commitment, of their passion that has been handed down for generations; years go by, we are now in the third millennium, but the tradition of gushots and fireworks will go on and on, getting over obstacles as it happened recently for the question of the gunshot, later solved happily.
So I painted a picture of Our Lady of Intercession for each quarter.
With two more paintings I show the traditional “shooting of the mascolo” at 3.30 am, with the other the tall candles offered by the Quarters for the fascinating Dawn Mass at 4.30 am.
I used for each painting the colour of the Quarter, identifying it with the different quality and colour of the flowers with other elements set in the painting, flowers that shooting from the ground become fireworks celebrating the Virgin Mary.
Among the flowers there is the votive tall candle that is a typical devotional act to obtain the protection of the Virgin. It's the flame that prolongs the prayer, as it is written at Lourdes where near the Apparition Cave thousands of candles burn.
The feast of 8th September in Recco is the result of the cooperation of the Sanctuary, the town authorities, the Quarters and the population, who work together for the success of the event which brings to Recco thousands of people even from very far, maintaning the tradition of the elders.