Saint Fermina - Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 05.438 E 011° 47.491
32T E 730868 N 4663610
A statue honoring Saint Fermina is located along the harbor in front of Fort Michelangelo in Civitavecchia, Italy.
Waymark Code: WMV66M
Location: Lazio, Italy
Date Posted: 03/02/2017
Views: 2
A larger than life marble statue of Saint Fermina depicts the patron saint of Civitavecchia wearing a cape over an inner and outer tunic, with the outer tunic tied above the waist with a belt. She is standing on a 7' high circular column and holding a model of a sailing ship cradled in her right arm and hand. In her left hand she is holding an olive branch. A halo is vertically positioned behind her head.
The circular base is inscribed:
A
S. FERMINA V.M.
PATRONA E PROTETTORE
NATALE DI CIVITAVECCHIA
1955
Saint Fermina is the Patron Saint of the Sailors and the Cities of Civitavecchia and Amelia. It is believed that she was born in Rome about 272 AD. She converted to Christianity and at 15 years old she fled Rome by ship to Centumcellae (now Civitavecchia) to escape persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian. The ship encountered a violent storm, and legend says she was kneeling and praying to God to calm the storm. Her prayers succeeded in calming the waves.
She lived in a cave in Centumcellae, near present day Fort Michelangelo, and preached the Gospel. Upon travelling to Amelia she was captured and martyred. For the miracle of calming the waves, she was proclaimed a saint, patron and protector of sailors and patron saint of Civitavecchia and Amelia. In commemoration of this event, Civitavecchia celebrates their patron, Saint Fermina, every April 28th.