Mother Church of Giardini Naxos
The Church of Santa Maria della Recommended in Giardini Naxos , also known as the Church of the Recommendation of the Soul , is the main place of worship in the city. It was built in 1719, its name recalls the sailors' habit of entrusting their souls to the Madonna as protection before starting their long voyages at sea. Inside there is a statue dedicated to the Madonna, the work of the sculptor Matteo Bottigliero, who arrived in Giardini in the mid-nineteenth century after a long journey made up of dangers and adversities.
The entrance portal built to the end of the twentieth century with an accurate iconography dedicated to the cult of the Madonna. From top to bottom it is possible to distinguish the representation of two doves as a symbol of peace and purity, the moon, the sun and the stars as a representation of the passage of time and finally the boats with fishermen and a sailing ship in memory of the sailors devoted to the cult and the arrival of the statue in the city.
