The patronage of "Our Lady of the Snows" – which, in my experience, is not all that common – indicates that this church/chapel was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but not, as is usually the case, associated with one of her classic feast days (e.g., the Name of Mary, the Nativity, the Assumption, or as Queen of the Rosary). Rather, the search for the origin of "Our Lady of the Snows" leads us far back in church history, to the fourth/fifth century, and geographically from here across the Alps to the Italian capital. On August 5, 363, at the site where the magnificent church of Santa Maria Maggiore stands today (Pope Francis was buried here a few months ago), the so-called "Miracle of the Snows" occurred. That is, on that day, in the middle of summer, there was snow there in the morning because Our Lady wanted a church dedicated to her to be built on that spot. She expressed this wish in a nighttime vision to a wealthy couple who financed the construction and to the Bishop of Rome, Pope Liberius. The Roman church has the rank of a patriarchal basilica (papal basilica), and is the origin of all churches and chapels bearing this patronage. In the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, the date of August 5, the day of the church's consecration (in the year 432 by Pope Sixtus III), is a "non-obligatory memorial."

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 510 m

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Thursday 30 October

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70 %

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Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

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Location: Koper, Obalno-kraška, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

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