Tradition and spirituality, Siena celebrates its Cathedral “precious stone given by God”
Siena celebrated an 842-year tradition of history and spirituality with an eventful day. Opera della Metropolitana, the Archdiocese of Siena, the Municipality and the Opera recalled today, the Dedication of the Duomo, which took place according to tradition in the presence of Pope Alexander III, born Rolando Bandinelli, on 18 November 1179.
Many initiatives are planned to highlight the triduum celebrations that already take place every year in the Cathedral with the display of the banner bearing the coat of arms of the Sienese Pope. The day started this morning at the Archbishop’s palace where a round table entitled “The dedication of the Cathedral of Siena: a tradition of history and spirituality from Alexander III to medieval pilgrimage routes”.
The institutional greetings from Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice, archbishop of Siena, opened the day. “Giving value back to the Cathedral’s anniversary serves to put the whole Church back at the center. I hope it is a further sign of a common journey to be made with the whole community made up of believers and non-believers “, said Lojudice who, in his speech, thanked the OPA, Opera Laboratori and its manager Stefano Di Bello” whose work allows to host millions of people in the Diocese ”.
After him it is the turn of the rector of the Opera della Metropolitana Guido Pratesi who, speaking of the collaboration with the city of Alessandria to carry out this project, hoped for a “development of the cult of Mary along the Via Francigena” and recalled the Pope’s report with France, the state that offered protection to the Pontiff in the years of his exile. The mayor Luigi De Mossi, on the other hand, has repeatedly reiterated his desire to collaborate with Archbishop Lojudice regarding religious tourism, “to improve the knowledge of Siena also from this point of view”
After the words of the proposal of the Metropolitan Chapter Monsignor Gaetano Rutilo and the Mayor of Alessandria Gianfranco Cuttica di Revigliasco, the manager of Opera Laboratori Stefano Di Bello intervened. “This is a moment of joy. God has granted his people this jewel, this precious stone (the Cathedral ed.). The Duomo is the door to heaven, it is a place that opens doors of hope and that gives what Mario Luzi indicates as the substance of the future “.
Don Enrico Grassini, director of the Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage Office of the Archdiocese, was the protagonist of a reflection entitled “” Come stones alive “(1Pt 2, 5): the imago Ecclesiae in the history of the rite of dedication”. The Archbishop of Lucca, HE Paolo Giulietti made a long digression on “Contemporary experiences of pilgrimage and enhancement of places of faith”. By Michele Pellegrini, professor at the University of Siena, is the excursus on “Siena and its Church in the years of Alexander III”. Finally, Gianfranco Cuttica di Revigliasco spoke again with an intervention entitled “Iconography of Alexander III in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena and reflections of Alexandrian history”. The speakers framed the figure of Alexander III within the historical period in which he lived and the dedication of the Cathedral of Siena that tradition places on November 18, 1179 and took into consideration the symbolic-theological meanings of the liturgical rite of dedication, through the cultural eras.
The day continued at 6 pm with the solemn Holy Mass in the Cathedral presided over by Cardinal Lojudice and concelebrated by the canons of the Metropolitan Chapter, with the liturgical animation of the choir of the Cathedral ‘Guido Chigi Saracini’. At the events there will be a splendid concert, which will be held at 9 pm at the Accademia Chigiana hall.