Year: 1871

Ischia. like all Italian localities, has
its patron saint; they call her Santa Res
tituta. .tt


When persecution was raging in Egypt,
in the third century, says the simple
legend, the body of a young maiden, with
mill stone tied round her neck, hoated
across the sea and rested in a creek on
the south side Of the island. The creek
is called after the martyr to this day, and
above it are rocks whose black mass lit
orally overhahgs and roofs in part Of the
bay. Just where her body rested, in a
sandy barren place, lilies grew up and
continued to bloom; they are there now
and are very peculiar as well as very
lovely, sort of cross between the lily
and the iris, with delicate pointed petals,
FIVE in number, and tall, smooth stem
with very little verdure. Not only do
these flowers grow nowhere else on the
island or out of it, but they will not grow
in a land Of their own sandy soil if trans
planted with quantity Of it elsewhere.
The mill stone that was round the saint
neck is said to be imbedded in q wall in
the neighborhood Of her church; there
is such a stone, whether the same or
not no one can tell Later on, church
was erected over the remains of the
martyr, and she was chosen patroness
of the island. A very curious Byzan-
tine figure, gilt all over and nearly life
size, was made in wood and placed over
the altar. In one hand she was pic
tnred as holding book Of the gospels,
and in the other full-rigged vessel
When the south Of Italy was invested
by Saracen hordes, Ischia did not es-
cape pillage, and, Of course, judging
the most precious things to be in the
church, as they always were in Catholic
times, the marauders rushed to Santa
Restituta's shrine and attempted to
carry off the golden statue, as they be-
lieved it to be.


The statue, naturally, was movable
one, and used to be carried in process
sion on certain stated occasions, but
now it remained rooted to the spot, and
no effort of the stalwart inidels could
move IL hairs breadth from its pedes-
tai In rage and disappointment, one
of them struck at it savagely with his
scimetar, and mark upon its knee still
attests this outrage. The sacrilege was
promptly puuiSneOs ior thO HVh .hSui
selves now found they were unable to
move, and remained invisibly chained at
the foot of the miraculous image. If
they were released, the legend does not
say; let us hope that they were freed by
faith, and that conversion followed this
strange sign. The statue has remained
immovable ever since, aRd another
image was made to be carried
in procession, with the addition
of the miraculously riveted Saracens
in small painted group on the same
stand as the figure itself Whether the
legend be absolutely true, or only partly
SO; whether fact and figure be mixed
together and things spiritual typifed
under tangible forms, it is not for us to
decide, but the simple faith of the happy
islanders is certainly to be admired and
even to be envied. They have rejoicing,
fireworks, professions, songs, and ser
vices, and military parade of what Ma
tional Guards they can muster, to cele-
brate their Saints anniversary they are
proud Of her, and point out her statue,
and tell her history to strangers with the
same enthusiasm with which soldiers
sneak of favorite general.