Santuario della Madonna pellegrina mutilata

On a warm July evening in 1948, a chilling event unfolded, forever etching itself into the history of the Santuario della Madonna pellegrina mutilata. The year was 1948. A procession of thousands wound its way from Bareggio to San Pietro all’Olmo, carrying the Madonna Pellegrina, a statue of the Virgin Mary. Children dressed as angels surrounded the statue on a horse-drawn cart. The air was thick with anticipation and prayer. As the procession neared San Martino, a bomb ripped through the night. It exploded near the statue at the Santuario della Madonna pellegrina mutilata, tearing off its arm and showering the children with shrapnel. Panic erupted. Screams mingled with the cries of the injured. Miraculously, no one died. The statue’s body shielded some from the blast. The horses, though one was injured, remained surprisingly calm. The Santuario della Madonna pellegrina mutilata became a scene of chaos and blood. Thirty-one people were wounded, some severely. One young girl lost an eye. The attack on the Santuario della Madonna pellegrina mutilata shocked the nation. The next day, Cardinal Schuster visited the wounded and prayed before the damaged statue. Investigations began immediately, pointing to six young men. Five were communists, and one was an anarchist. They confessed to the bombing, claiming they saw the procession as a form of political propaganda. They later retracted their confessions, alleging coercion. A trial ensued. In a controversial decision, the court acquitted them due to insufficient evidence. The Santuario della Madonna pellegrina mutilata stands as a stark reminder of this violent act. The statue, with its missing arm, continued its pilgrimage, a poignant symbol of resilience. It eventually found its home in the newly built sanctuary in Bareggio, now the Santuario della Madonna pellegrina mutilata. The small bloodstains at the statue’s feet, preserved under glass, are a testament to that terrible night.