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THE MIRACLE OF SAINT DEVOTE
The most famous recorded “ miracle ” is the fourth century storm that drove the small sailing boat off course that was carrying the sacred remains of the Corsican Christian Devote who had been so cruelly tortured and slain by the Romans for her devotion to Christianity . According to a legend , Gabinius Barbarus Pompeianus , the governor of Corsica and Sardinia , ordered the girl ’ s body to be burned . He did not want it to become an object of veneration . The Christians , however , managed to save the body from the fire , put it in a boat and hastily sailed it off towards Africa . All of a sudden , a storm broke out on the sea , the boat went off course and wandered back to shore ... That ’ s when another miracle happened : a dove flew out of the saint ’ s lips , showing the sailors the way . On January 27 , 304 , led by a snow-white dove , the fugitives managed to moor off a Monaco ravine ( nowadays , the chapel of Saint Devote ). Devote ’ s body then disappeared |
from the boat , but was later found by fishermen .
An attempt was once made to steal Saint Devote ’ s relics . Nothing short of a miracle also happened then . When the perpetrators ’ boat was about to set off to escape , a strong wind arose preventing it from the slightest stirring . The locals , led by Ugo Grimaldi , then managed to get hold of the thieves and reclaim the sacred relic .
The Patron Saint is much venerated by the residents and the Grimaldi family .
That boat was burned to ashes right there and then . The Saint ’ s relics stayed with the Monegasques forevermore .
On January 26 , in memory of this beautiful legend , a symbolic boat burning is held in front of the chapel of Saint Devote attended by the princely family members . This scenic ritual attracts a huge number of spectators . Saint Devote remains inseparable from the people of Monaco and the Grimaldi family .
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PATRON SAINT OF THE PRINCIPALITY
It was the miraculous appearance of Sainte Devote who is said to have saved the day when an invasion of the Rock in the 16th century was assisted using a multitude of Corsican mercenaries in the invading force . During this war involving the Genoese and the Pisans , the enemies besieged the Monaco stronghold . For more than six months , their attacks were repelled by the Monegasques . It turned out to be a strategic mistake using Corsican mercenaries , though . As the legend goes the furious spirit of Sainte Devote , herself Corsican , turned the tide on the invaders with a rallying cry to her Monegasque patriots and a fearsome warning to the Corsicans who turned tail and fled . On March 15 , 1507 , the siege was raised . The Patron Saint is much venerated by the residents and the Grimaldi family . All Catholic churches and chapels carry Saint Devote ’ s paintings and frescoes . Coins with her image have been minted since the mid-18th century . In 1927 Louis Notary wrote his very first novel in the Monegasque language called “ The Legend of Saint Devote ”.
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