Novena Schedule for the 127th Feast of St. Gerard Maiella at St. Lucy's Church in Newark, New Jersey

In Search of Isabella di Morra with the Ghost of the Count of Sciancato

In Search of… with the Ghost of the Count of Sciancato explores mysteries where history and legend blur and conjecture begins—along with the strange, the macabre, and the uncanny. What follows suggests possible explanations—though not the only ones.

Isabella di Morra: The Poetess in the Tower

High above the Sinni Valley, on a rocky spur in Basilicata, stands the castle of Valsinni, its walls thick, its windows narrow, its towers looking outward across a landscape both beautiful and isolating. In the sixteenth century, the fortress was home to Isabella di Morra.

Born into a noble family around 1520, Isabella spent much of her life confined within those stone walls. Her father, a baron allied with the French during the turbulent wars between France and Spain, fled into exile. The castle fell under the authority of her brothers, men said to be stern and suspicious. From within her enforced seclusion, Isabella wrote poetry: verses of isolation, longing, resentment, and a profound sense of imprisonment.

Alleged portrait of Isabella di Morra

She wrote of the “horrid valley” that enclosed her and of a fate she could not escape. In a world of arranged marriages and rigid honor codes, her voice was strikingly personal and dangerous.

At some point in the 1540s, Isabella began corresponding with a Spanish nobleman, Diego Sandoval de Castro, a married poet and official. Whether the exchange was romantic or literary remains debated. What is certain is that her brothers discovered it and killed her in the name of family honor. Sandoval was later ambushed and slain. The castle became the scene of blood, and Isabella’s brief life ended within the same walls that had confined her youth.

Centuries later, scholars rediscovered her work, recognizing in it one of the most original female voices of the Italian Renaissance.

Yet in Valsinni, another tradition endured. It is said that Isabella never left. On certain evenings, when the valley falls silent, a solitary figure appears along the battlements, gazing toward the horizon she once cursed.

Visitors to the castle speak of a presence in the tower rooms. Of sudden drafts in enclosed chambers and footsteps echoing where no one walks. Some claim to hear faint recitations rising from the stone, and lines of lament carried on the wind.

Was Isabella di Morra merely a tragic poet silenced by the violence of her age?

Or does the weight of injustice linger in the stones of Valsinni Castle?

……………………………………

Sebastiano III, Conte di Sciancato, a minor prince of forgotten Lucania, was said to have loved his wife more than his soul. When his beloved bride, Donna Lucrezia di Nerafiora, died in a tragic accident, he could not accept the will of fate. In his grief, he turned to ancient books and desperate learning, searching for a way to restore her to the world of the living. The attempt cost him his life. The ruins of his torre lie hidden, and when the earth trembles, some whisper he still searches for her.

Rosary and Revelation Retreat at St. Joseph School Auditorium in Raritan, New Jersey

Spring, the Amazon, and the Warrior Poet

(L) Ida Rubinstein as Le Trajet (The Crossing)
and (R) Femme avec des fleurs (Spring)

While browsing an old exhibition catalogue, Amazons in the Drawing Room: The Art of Romaine Brooks, I found myself drawn to Romaine Brooks’s Spring (1912). Its pale, solitary figure, wrapped in a great black mantle embroidered with flowers, immediately took hold of me. Strange and dreamlike, it is sensual, melancholy, and vaguely otherworldly.

Ida Rubinstein, ca. 1911, by
Howard Gardiner Cushing

There was something familiar about the experience. Not long ago, while looking through a book on Tamara de Lempicka in search of her portrait of Suzy Solidor, I unexpectedly stumbled upon Gabriele D’Annunzio, knowing nothing of his connection to the artist. Now, while browsing Brooks, it was happening again.

Ida Rubinstein, the woman who would become Brooks’s great muse, lover, and subject in Spring, had already shared a famous artistic and personal relationship with D’Annunzio, performing the title role in his scandalous Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien in Paris, which Catholics were forbidden to attend under threat of excommunication.

In 2024, at the Morgan Library’s Crafting the Ballets Russes: The Robert Owen Lehman Collection, I had already encountered Rubinstein as Saint Sebastian in Léon Bakst’s illustration for D’Annunzio’s play, displayed alongside a portrait of her by Howard Gardiner Cushing.

Ida Rubinstein as St. Sebastian by Léon Bakst

Brooks herself moved in the same Decadent artistic world as D’Annunzio. When she exhibited La France Croisée in 1915, D’Annunzio supplied four accompanying sonnets. The two also had an affair, followed by a friendship that endured until his death.

Perhaps it is merely another coincidence, but none of these connections had occurred to me when I first opened the catalogue. Still, after Tamara de Lempicka, the encounter at the Morgan, and now Romaine Brooks, Il Vate seems remarkably unwilling to fade away.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, October 1st, Feast of St. Remigius

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City, New Jersey

A New Home for Old Books

I once wrote about wondering what would become of my books when I was gone. For some of them, at least, I no longer have to wonder.

I recently found a new home for about two hundred volumes from my collection, mostly history books I no longer reference and others I simply haven’t picked up in years. I’m glad to know they will be read and appreciated rather than remain untouched on my shelves.

Someone suggested that I sell them online. Sensible enough, I suppose, but I have neither the soul nor the instincts of a merchant. The thought of hawking and bargaining over books acquired through a lifetime of interests holds no appeal for me. Better that they pass freely into the hands of someone who values their contents than be reduced to so many little transactions.

This is hardly the end of my library. I’m keeping the books I still read, cite, and value. What will eventually become of those remains an open question.

Still, there is something reassuring about seeing part of the collection move on. Their future, at least, is no longer mine to worry about.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, September 30th, Feast Day of San Girolamo

A Prayer to St. Agatha of Sicily for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Happy National Italian American Heritage Month!

October is National Italian American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich history, vibrant culture, and numerous contributions of Italian Americans. From the arts, science, and education to the cherished traditions of food, family, and faith, Italian Americans have left an indelible mark on these United States.

This month is not only about remembering the struggles and sacrifices of earlier generations who came to America seeking a better life, but also about celebrating the ongoing spirit of creativity, resilience, and community that continues to shape our nation today.

May this be a time of gratitude, reflection, and joy as we honor the Italian American experience.

Feast of St. Bruno at St. Mary of Mt. Virgin Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey

New Music — Domenico Scarlatti and Jose de Nebra: Stabat Mater and Salve Regina

New music that may interest our readers.

• Domenico Scarlatti and Jose de Nebra: Stabat Mater and Salve Regina, performed by La Grande Chapelle

Label: Lauda
Release Date: July 30, 2026
Audio CD: $20.99
Number of Discs: 1

Available at Amazon.com

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Feast of St. Bartolo Longo at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, New Jersey

Feast of Beato Nicola da Forca Palena

Beato Nicola da Forca
Palena, ora pro nobis

September 29th is the feast of Blessed Nicola of Forca Palena, priest and founder. Born around 1349 in Forca Palena, Abruzzo, Nicola entered the priesthood and served for a time near his birthplace. Drawn increasingly to solitude and penance, he eventually journeyed to Rome, where he joined a community of hermits devoted to spiritual life.

Nicola later established a hermitage on the Janiculum Hill in Rome, which developed into the church and monastery of Sant’Onofrio. His community was eventually united with the Poor Hermits of St. Jerome associated with Blessed Pietro Gambacorta, helping form the Jerolamin tradition.

After nearly a century of devotion to God, Nicola died at Sant’Onofrio in Rome in 1449. He was buried there, and his reputation for sanctity endured among the faithful. Pope Clement XIV formally confirmed his longstanding cult in 1771.

In celebration of his feast, we offer this prayer:

O Blessed Nicola of Forca Palena, Jerolamin, humble servant of God, who found true peace in solitude and prayer, intercede for us before the Lord. Help us seek unity and spiritual strength in times of tribulation, and guide us with your wisdom to the heart of the Holy Trinity. Amen.

My St. Michael’s Lent

San Michele Arcangelo, ora pro nobis

As St. Michael’s Lent draws to a close, I have been thinking less about what I accomplished and more about where I fell short. Traditionally observed in the weeks leading up to the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, this period of voluntary prayer and penance offers an opportunity to impose a little more discipline upon ourselves and turn our attention back toward God.

I began with good intentions, trying to pray more consistently, practice greater self-denial, and become more conscious of the small comforts I normally take for granted. Some days went better than others.

Fasting proved especially difficult. The Feast of San Gennaro fell right in the middle of my observance, and anyone familiar with the street fare can probably appreciate the temptation. My resolve was not always as strong as I had imagined it would be.

At first, it is easy to regard that as failure. Yet perhaps recognizing how easily our resolutions collapse is itself part of the value of voluntary penance, leaving us more conscious of our weaknesses, more aware of the need for discipline, and with a renewed desire to do better.

And so, on this Michaelmas, I am grateful not because I completed the devotion perfectly, but because I attempted it at all, and because next year, God willing, I will attempt it again. Evviva San Michele Arcangelo!

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, September 28th, Feast of San Venceslao I

Photo of the Week: Artemis (Diana) of Ephesus, Vatican Museums (III)

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Feast of St. Therese at St. John Vianney Church in Colonia, New Jersey

Novena to San Bruno di Colonia

San Bruno di Colonia, ora pro nobis

Pray this novena for nine consecutive days, from September 27th through October 5th, in preparation for the Feast on October 6th. Evviva San Bruno!

Almighty and eternal God, you prepare dwelling places in heaven for those who renounce this world. We humbly beseech your boundless mercy, that through the intercession of our blessed Father Bruno, your Confessor, we may faithfully fulfill the vows of our profession and safely attain those things you have promised to all who persevere in your friendship.

This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O loving Father, and glorious St. Bruno, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

* The accompanying photo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey. 

Remembering Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Naples and Sicily

24 November, 1724 — 27 September, 1760

In memory of Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Naples and Sicily (later Spain), we pray for the happy repose of her soul. Viva ‘a Reggina!

Eternal rest grant unto Her Majesty, 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.

Feast of St. Michael at the Oratory of St. Josaphat in Bayside, New York

Catholic Movie Night at Atrium Stadium Cinemas in Staten Island, New York

Recently Opened — Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times (Embassy of Italy in Washington)

Contemporary architecture and ancient art: this is the pairing chosen by the Embassy of Italy in Washington to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence.

The exhibition Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times, presented at the Embassy of Italy, designed in 2000 by architect Piero Sartogo, explores the legacy of ancient Rome in the contemporary world through Roman statues and frescoes from Pompeii.

Thanks to interactive devices powered by a dedicated artificial intelligence platform, visitors can talk to Emperor Trajan and discover the many connections between his time and contemporary America, from the origins of institutions like the Senate to the classical influences found throughout Washington, D.C.

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New Book — Myths and Legends of Sicily: Thirty Ancient Tales and Island Traditions from Mount Etna to Palermo

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Myths and Legends of Sicily: Thirty Ancient Tales and Island Traditions from Mount Etna to Palermo by L.T. James and G. Hughes

Publisher: Independently published
Pub. Date: September 20, 2026
Paperback: $15.99
Kindle: $8.02
Language: English
Pages: 101

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Supplica to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii at the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette in Brooklyn, New York

Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World

Fragment of a Sarcophagus with Medea carrying her dead child,
marble, ca. 130 BC, Roman, from Italy, find spot unknown

We recently stopped by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in Manhattan to see its newly opened exhibition, Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World, and it was well worth the visit.

Spanning roughly 2000 BC to 300 AD, the show explores the place of magic in the ancient worlds of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. What makes it particularly fascinating is the sheer variety of objects on display. There are amulets, sculptures, decorated ceramics, precious metals, and papyri, all created by people seeking, in one way or another, to influence the unseen forces around them.

Far from being an eccentric fringe practice, the collection reveals how deeply magic could be woven into religion and everyday life, even as its status differed considerably from one ancient society to another.

Small but wonderfully focused, Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World is an easy recommendation for anyone interested in the strange ways human beings have tried to negotiate with the unknown. On view at ISAW through December 13, 2026, admission is free.

~By Giovanni di Napoli, September 24th, Feast of the Madonna della Misericordia

(L) Promotional banner for Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World. (R) Funerary Portrait of a Youth Wearing an Amulet, encaustic on linden wood, 150-200 AD, Roman Empire, from Egypt, find spot unknown

Magical Stela of Horus, chlorite schist, 332-280 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

Statuette of Triple-Bodied Hekate, marble, 1st-2nd
century AD, Roman Empire, find spot unknown

Love Charm for Four Women, lead, 3rd century AD,
Roman Empire, find spot unknown

Amulet with the Demon Pazuzu, chalcedony,
681-627 BC, Neo-Assyrian, find spot unknown

Curse Tablet, selenite, 3rd century AD, Roman
Empire, from Cyprus, find spot unknown

Calyx-Krater (Mixing Vessel) with Odysseus and Circe, terracotta,
ca. 440 BC, Greek, made in Athens, find spot unknown

Magical Papyrus with Rituals Addressed to Hekate, papyrus and ink, late 3rd-early 4th century AD, Roman Empire, from Egypt, find spot unknown

(L) Hydria with Medea and Pelias, terracotta, 510-500 BC, Greek, made in Athens, found at Vulci, Italy. (R) Tablet with Ritual to Counteract Witchcraft (Maqlû), clay, 669-631 BC, Neo-Assyrian, from Nineveh (Kouyunjik, Iraq)

Amulet Plaque with Sacred Symbols, gold,
664-30 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

(L) Amulet with the Demon Lamashtu, obsidian, 900-600 BC, Neo-Assyrian,
find spot unknown. (R) Mirror with Medea Offering a Potion to Jason,
bronze, ca. 400 BC, Etruscan, find spot unknown

Miniature Coffin with Curse Figure, lead, 4th century BC,
Greek, from the Kerameikos cemetery, Athens

(L) Curse Figure, clay with red pigment, 1991-1802 BC, Egyptian, from
Saggara, Egypt. (R) Mask of Humbaba, fired clay, 2000-1700 BC,
Old Babylonian, from Ur (Diqdiaqah, Iraq)

Papyrus with Spells Against Demons, papyrus with
colored ink, 664-525 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

(L) Magical Gem with Snake-Legged Deity, green and red jasper, 2nd-3rd
century AD, Roman Empire, find spot unknown. (R) Magical Gem with
Cow-Headed Hekate, black jasper, 2nd-3rd century AD,
Roman Empire, find spot unknown

A Priest's Handbook of Spells ("The London Magical Papyrus"), papyrus and ink, 3rd century AD, Roman Empire, from Thebes, Egypt

(L) Pendant Amulet Against the Evil Eye, gold, pearls, and amethyst, 2nd century
AD, Roman Empire, find spot unknown. (R) Wedjat Amulet, faience,
664-332 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

(L) Amulet, faience, 818-332 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown. (R) Amulet of Taweret, faience, 664-332 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City, New Jersey

Feast of St. Michael at Immaculate Conception Church in Lowell, Massachusetts