Sanctuary of Montevergine, Messina

The Sanctuary of Montevergine is deeply connected to the legacy of Saint Eustochia Smeralda Calafato, a woman of noble birth who defied her family’s wishes to dedicate her life to God. Born into a wealthy merchant family, Smeralda was renowned for her extraordinary beauty-so much so that, according to tradition, Antonello da Messina used her as the model for his famous painting Virgin Annunciate.

Despite opposition from her family, particularly her brothers, who reportedly even threatened to burn down the convent, she remained determined to pursue her religious calling. After taking monastic vows and adopting the name Eustochia, she joined the Poor Clares and, with the approval of Pope Callixtus III, founded her own monastery in 1460 near the Accomandata Hospital. In 1464, she moved her community to the newly established Monastery of Montevergine, where she continued her religious life until her death.

The Sanctuary of Montevergine is an important religious site, attracting both pilgrims and visitors interested in Messina’s history. One of its most remarkable features is the incorrupt body of Saint Eustochia, preserved in a shrine that remarkably survived the devastating 1908 earthquake.

The monastery was subsequently restored and reopened in 1929. Its single-nave church features an elegant combination of architectural details, intricate marble inlays and finely decorated altars and capitals adorned with cherubs. Inside, visitors can also admire notable works of art, including Giovan Battista Quagliata’s 1658 painting Virgin of the Angels with Saint Francis and Saint Clare and Michele Panebianco’s 19th-century depiction of Saint Francis receiving the stigmata.