Il Portastendardo di Civitella del Tronto (n. 62 - Agosto 2026)

Simple Pleasures — A Long-Overdue Re-Bagging

Re-bagging and boarding my old comic books has been on my to-do list for longer than I care to admit. What I imagined would be a simple after-dinner task quickly turned into a multi-evening trip down memory lane. It was impossible to replace the old bags without stopping to flip through them, admire the art, or reread a story I had nearly forgotten.

The diversion has been a welcome bit of escapism, even if progress has been slower than expected.

The Decollation of St. John the Baptist

Salome with the Head of John the Baptist,
ca. 1876, Gustave Moreau (1826-1898)

On August 29th, the Church commemorates the Passion of St. John the Baptist, the beheading of the voice that cried out in the wilderness.

John had rebuked Herod Antipas for his unlawful union with his niece and sister-in-law, Herodias, and for this he was cast into prison. At Herod’s birthday feast, Salome, the daughter of Herodias, danced before the court and so pleased the ruler that he rashly promised to grant whatever she desired. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist upon a platter.

I have always been struck by the terrible contrast of the scene: the revelry of the palace and the solitude of the prison, the weakness of Herod and the steadfastness of John. One man possessed a kingdom yet could not master himself. The other possessed nothing, not even his freedom, yet remained unafraid to speak the truth.

The sword silenced the herald of Christ, but it could not silence what he had proclaimed. Evviva San Giovanni! 
 
~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 28th, Feast of Sant’Agostino di Ippona

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Feast of Sant'Ermete di Roma

Sant'Ermete di Roma, ora pro nobis

August 28th is the Feast of St. Hermes of Rome, Martyr. Although few details of his life can now be established with certainty, the antiquity of his cult is well attested. According to the testimony of Pope St. Damasus, Hermes came from Greece and became a Roman citizen, where he suffered martyrdom for the name of Christ.

His body was buried in the Cemetery of Basilla along the Via Salaria Vetus. A basilica was later built over his tomb, which became a place of pilgrimage for the Christians of Rome. St. Hermes is invoked against possession and mental illness.

The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva Sant'Ermete di Roma!

In celebration of his feast, we offer this prayer:

O God, who didst give to blessed Hermes, thy martyr, strength and constancy in his sufferings: grant, by his example, that we may despise, for the love of thee, all that this world esteems great, and be afraid of none of its terrors. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Dreaming Into the Woods

Into the wood, into the wood inside, let it go
~ Roma Amor, Into the Wood

By day, New York City drowns the soul beneath glass, concrete, deadlines, and endless noise. By night, its towers glow like electric monoliths, illuminating a weary civilization that mistakes perpetual motion for life. One walks among millions and yet remains profoundly alone.

Beneath the starless canopy, the city seems incapable of silence. Even in the darkest hours, its lights burn and its machinery hums. Yet amid that tumult, I sense another realm, not a place of comfort, but of freedom.

Jünger understood that the forest is not merely a landscape but a condition of the soul. Long before one flees outward, one must withdraw inward. The first forest is entered without taking a single step.

Perhaps that is why I don't dream of cottages or pastoral tranquility, but of primeval woods where forgotten paths disappear beneath twisted oaks, Cyclopean stones rise from the moss, and eagles wheel above verdant valleys. Every shadow hints at something ancient and forgotten.

The metropolis demands conformity, while the forest—indifferent, austere, and uncompromising—demands character.

I return each morning to elevators, meetings, flashing screens, and crowded trains. Outwardly, nothing has changed. Yet in my mind I see roots cracking the pavement, while vines steadily climb toward the water towers and spires. The forest has already begun its reclamation, not of the city, but of the soul. Until then, I continue dreaming into the woods.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 27th, Feast of San Baccolo di Sorrento

Paula Gambra Mariné, Carlist Leader, Dies in Segovia

Paula Gambra Mariné, a prominent member of Spain’s Carlist movement and head of the Margaritas of the Comunión Tradicionalista, died in Segovia on August 25th, the Feast of St. Louis IX, King of France.

Born into a family deeply rooted in the Carlist tradition, Gambra Mariné devoted herself to the ideals and apostolate of the Comunión Tradicionalista. As leader of the Margaritas, she carried forward a tradition of Catholic faith, service, and fidelity that has long distinguished the movement.

We ask the faithful to offer prayers for the repose of her soul.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The Gorgon of Pompeii in New York City

Mosaic with head of Medusa within a shield design,
Roman, second half of the 1st century BC

From the floor of one of Pompeii’s grandest houses, the terrible face of Medusa once stared upward. Created in the second half of the first century BC for the House of the Citharist, the mosaic depicts the Gorgon surrounded by black-and-white scales and kantharoi, that is, drinking vessels.

Unearthed and removed during excavations in 1867, the mosaic entered the collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. It is now on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

To the Romans, Medusa was not merely the monster slain by Perseus. Her fearsome visage possessed apotropaic power, believed to repel evil and protect the household from harm. The mosaic survived successive renovations until Vesuvius buried Pompeii in 79 AD. More than two millennia later, Medusa’s forbidding gaze continues to fulfill its ancient purpose.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 26th, Feasts of Sant’Oronzo di Lecce and San Gianuario Martire

Brief Excerpt from Patriotism and Nationalism by Rafael Gambra Ciudad

Patriotism is a natural sentiment, deeply rooted in the human spirit, which springs, in a certain way, from the divine precept to honor and love one’s parents, the most readily and spontaneously observed of all commandments. If it does not exceed its true nature, patriotism is also a fulfillment of the precept to love one’s neighbor, that is, those who surround us, those who are nearest to us; a way of feeling oneself in communion with others, a sentiment opposed to individualism, one that enables us to live within a collective tradition and to love the common faith that permeates and gives it life. Natural affection for one’s fatherland is, in itself, an instinctive and, because it is born of love, unifying sentiment; in every case, an open sentiment which, unlike irrational and closed passions, cannot give rise to negative attitudes or hatred.

Translation by the editor. Originally published as “Patriotismo y Nacionalismo” in Cristiandad, no. 160 (1950), and later reprinted in Eso Que Llaman Estado (Madrid: Ediciones Montejurra, 1958), p. 178.

Celebrating Santa Rosalia in Bensonhurst

Santa Rosalia, ora pro nobis

Tuesday evening, we joined the crowds in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, for the 52nd Feast of Santa Rosalia, the beloved patroness of Palermo. Our first stop was the shrine dedicated to la Santuzza, located on 18th Avenue between 71st and 72nd Streets, where we offered prayers and made a donation before setting out to enjoy some of the Palermitana-style street fare that remains one of the great attractions of the feast.

We indulged in arancini, stigghiola, sfincione, baked iris, zeppole, and gelato (zuppa inglese), a veritable taste of Palermo in the heart of Brooklyn. With beautiful weather, the feast was alive with the sights, aromas, and flavors of Sicily, offering another welcome opportunity to celebrate Santa Rosalia and the traditions carried from Palermo to Brooklyn generations ago. Evviva Santa Rosalia!

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 25th, Feast of Santa Patrizia di Costantinopoli

The outdoor chapel on 18th Avenue, between 71st St. and 72nd St

Arancini

Sfincione

Stigghiola

Zeppole

Iris

Zuppa inglese

Simple Pleasures — Another Successful Book Hunt

Nothing beats a good stoop sale and the hunt for old books and other hidden treasures.

Feast of the Madonna di Montevergine at St. Mary of Mt. Virgin Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey

My Beloved Patroness

Santa Patrizia di Constantinopoli, ora pro nobis

Among the many saints who have accompanied me since my reversion, few have affected my life as profoundly as Santa Patrizia di Constantinopoli.

Years ago, on the night of her feast, Santa Patrizia appeared to me in a vivid dream, urging me to return to the Church. I have never doubted that it was through her intercession that I found the courage to take those first steps.

Each year, her feast reminds me that God’s grace often comes through the guidance of the saints. We do not always recognize their presence until we look back and discern how faithfully they have accompanied us. For that reason, Santa Patrizia will always remain, for me, the saint who led me home. Evviva Santa Patrizia!

Prayer to St. Patrizia

O wondrous Virgin, St. Patricia, mine advocate and protectress, who in the last moments of thy life didst obtain from Jesus counsel and divine protection for all who seek refuge in thee: obtain for me from Almighty God health of soul and body, victory over the Devil and over the passions. Drive away the adversities that surround me on all sides; in this present tribulation, console me. Obtain for me the pardon of sins and entrance into the heavenly kingdom. Be thou a haven of safety unto sailors and a safeguard unto our city. Spread forth thy special patronage over me and over all thy devoted children, that the most holy Name of God may be ever blessed, glorified, exalted, and praised by all unto the ages of ages. Amen.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 24th, Feasts of Sant’Audeno, San Bartolomeo, and Santa Giovanna Antida Thouret

Rally to Save Most Holy Redeemer in New York City

Rediscovering Della Robbia at The Met

Saint Michael the Archangel, Andrea della Robbia
(1435-1525), ca. 1475, glazed terracotta

Before seeing the newly opened Rediscovering Della Robbia at The Met last Sunday, my encounters with the art of the Della Robbia family had been few but memorable. My first came at the Vatican in October 2025, where I saw a pair of polychrome ceramics by Andrea and Luca della Robbia in the Papal Apartments. Then, in May 2026, I encountered another work by Luca at the Met’s magnificent Raphael: Sublime Poetry exhibition. Those brief encounters made the opportunity to see the current exhibit all the more compelling.

Prudence, Andrea della Robbia (1435-
1525), ca. 1475, glazed terracotta

Around 1440, Luca perfected a secret technique for glazing terracotta, transforming humble clay into brilliantly colored sculptures of remarkable durability. Andrea and his sons Girolamo, Giovanni, and Luca the Younger continued and expanded the family tradition. The Met has now brought together works by all three generations, many rescued from decades in storage and newly conserved.

The centerpiece is the monumental Assumption of the Virgin (The Marquand Altarpiece), assembled from thirty-three components that had not been displayed for seventy years. Five centuries after they emerged from the kiln, the sculptures retain the luminous quality Renaissance admirers described as “almost eternal.”

Rediscovering Della Robbia at The Met is on view in Gallery 521 at the Met Fifth Avenue through January 17, 2028.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 23rd, Feast of Sant'Antonio di Gerace

Prudence is personified here as a two-faced figure. A young woman gazing
into a mirror symbolizes the present, while an old man looks backward
to past events. The snake represents wisdom, gained through
self-knowledge and living a just life

Head of a youth, Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), ca. 1465, glazed terracotta

(L) Madonna and Child (The Lehman Madonna), Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), ca. 1470-75, glazed terracotta. (R) Virgin Adoring the Christ Child, Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), ca. 1470, glazed terracotta

François I (1494-1547), king of France, Girolamo della Robbia (1488-1566) or Luca della Robbia (Luca the Younger) (1475-ca. 1548), 1529, glazed terracotta

Madonna and Child with scroll, Luca della Robbia
(1399/1400-1482), ca. 1455, glazed terracotta

Mystic mandorla, Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529/30),
ca. 1515, glazed terracotta

(L) Dovizia (Abundance), Workshop of Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529/30), ca. 1515-25, glazed terracotta. (R) Saint Michael, Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529/30), 1500-1510, glazed terracotta and metal

The Della Robbia family frequently reworked their models to create compositional variations. This figure of Saint Michael and that of Dovizia nearby were adapted from the same basic form. Where Dovizia raises a hand to steady a platter of fruit, Saint Michael wields a sword as he prepares to slay the devil, in the form of a dragon, writhing beneath his feet.

Cherubs' heads, Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525)
and Workshop, ca. 1500, glazed terracotta

Heraldic medallion with the arms of the Gaetani and Minerbetti families,
Della Robbia Workshop, possibly Giovanni della Robbia
(1469-1529/30), after 1493, glazed terracotta

(L) Madonna and Child in a niche, Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482), ca. 1460, glazed terracotta with gilt and painted details. (R) The Assumption of the Virgin (The Marquand Altarpiece), Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525) and Workshop, ca. 1485, glazed terracotta

Sections of The Assumption of the Virgin (The Marquand Altarpiece), Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), ca. 1485, glazed terracotta

Sections of The Assumption of the Virgin (The Marquand Altarpiece), Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), ca. 1485, glazed terracotta

Architectural bracket, Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529/30)
and Workshop, ca. 1500, glazed terracotta

Photo of the Week: The Colossal Head of Augustus in the Cortile della Pigna, Vatican Museums (IV)

The Colossal Head of Augustus, dating from the 1st century AD, is displayed on the east wall of the open-air Cortile della Pigna (Courtyard of the Pinecone) in the Vatican Museums (Photo by New York Scugnizzo)

Monthly Traditional Latin Mass at St. Ann's Church in Midland, Texas

Remembering S.A.R. Maria Immacolata Luisa di Borbone, Princess of Bourbon Two Sicilies and Countess of Bardi

21 January 1855 – 23 August 1874

In memory of S.A.R. Maria Immacolata Luisa di Borbone, Princess of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Countess of Bardi, daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, we pray for the happy repose of her soul.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The Feast of Santa Rosalia at the Santa Rosalia Chapel in Utica, New York

New Kindle Edition — History of Sicily in Ancient Times: Prehistoric peoples, Sicanians, Sicels, Elymians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans

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• History of Sicily in Ancient Times: Prehistoric peoples, Sicanians, Sicels, Elymians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans by Mario Trombino and Francesca Brucoli

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Pub. Date: July 13, 2026
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