Emanuele Catone

Exactly 220 Years ago, Saturday 5 July of 1800, an act that constitutes a sign of the centuries-old devotion that the community of Buccino has had and continues to have towards the Immaculate Conception was recorded before the Buccino notary Tiberio Goffredi.

As recently reported by his friend Peppino Arduino in one of his precious notes, Maria SS. Immaculate was elected the main patroness of Buccino the 5 settembre 1677 (by deed deed by the notary Francesco Cippaluni), replacing the previous patron saint Francesco Borgia.

Just as a great sign of devotion for the Immaculate Conception, that day of 1800 the gentlewoman Laura Bellelli Lentini, exponent of one of the wealthy families in the country, decided to donate to the guardian father of the Franciscan monastery, father Giovanni da Buccino, a pair of "excellent silver" keys that replaced those "of gilded wood" that the statue had brought up to then as a sign of protection over the town.

that 5 July Donna Laura Bellelli handed them over to the Buccinese monk, inviting him to "place them in the hands of said Venerable statue" "on the occasion of some public demonstration" and the procession on the first Sunday of July, then reserving the right to have his name engraved for future memory as soon as a goldsmith capable of making this engraving had happened to Buccino.

The day after, for that year's procession, the statue could show off the new silver keys, that still perpetuate the memory of the devotion to the Immaculate Conception of woman Laura Bellelli and the Buccinesi.

We report below the act of donation of 1800, found by us in the protocols of the notary Goffredi.

In Dei Nomine Amen. Today that is five of the month of July of the year eighteen hundred in Buccino, reigning etc., and properly in the Venerable Monistery of S. Maria delle Grazie de P.P. R.R. in S. Francesco d’Assisi etc.

Established in our presence Mrs. D. Laura Bellelli Lentini, widow of the Doctor D. Giulio Scamardi of Palo, which agge per se, and for his heirs and successors on the one hand. And on the other the Reverend P.. Giovanni da Buccino Reader and Guardian of Buccino Reformed Religious under the title of S. Francis of Assisi, who aggra for himself and for his posterity and successors Guardians in said Venerable Monistery etc.

She Widow d. Laura asserts that by mere devotion that leads to Mary Most Holy under the title of the Immaculate Conception, declared protector of this aforementioned city of Buccino, for which reason he is tickled by him [sic] Festivities on the first Sunday of July of each year, processionally carrying the image of him, holding in his hand the keys of said city as a sign of being its protector; and why it seemed to it D. Laura that the keys she has brought so far were not the second they should have been, being of gilded wood, so she predicted widow D. Laura has estimated that they are made of excellent silver, and those donated to the said Most Holy Immaculate Virgin, as it currently does, and to recommend it to said Fr.. guardian, who should keep them and on the occasion of some public demonstration put them in the hands of said Venerable statue, she became a widow D. Laura to let us imprint her name for future remembrance that a few practical goldsmiths of these impressions and to this object called P. Guardian at your request immediately will have to deliver them, to then return them, and so called D. Laura don't, fraud, sed sponte donates these silver keys to the Most Holy Immaculate Virgin and called Reverend P.. Guardian in you name accepts them, and you must conserve them, and swear tacto pectore, and writing, etc rispective.

Present for Regio Giudice a Contratti Magnifico Guglielmo Mancini and the undersigned witnesses all of Buccino videlicet Reverendo D. Carlo Imbrenda, Andrea Amendola, D. Carmine Metal, D. Vincenzo Goffredi, D. Francesco di Carlo di Vito.