History

While the origins of Fremantle’s celebration of the Blessing of the Fleet can be traced back 12th Century Molfetta., it was the Molfettesi fishermen in the inter-war post-war periods who introduced the tradition to Fremantle.

Molfetta born fisherman Francesco Raimondi looms large in the most recollections of the origins of the Blessing of the Fleet. Raimondi was born Molfetta in 1898 and migrated to Fremantle in 1925. The story goes that Raimondi encouraged his fellow fisherman to attend mass instead putting out to sea on a cold and windy September 8th in 1943.

“Back in 1943, Francesco Raimondi, he gave us the idea. It was raining and could and we were playing cards... Mr Raimondi told us we should be ashamed of ourselves that we didn’t remembered what was happening in Molfetta that day. September 8, yes we remembered it was the Blessing of the Fleet in Molfetta... We went to church then after church we had a little discussion and we thought we should do something about it next year – this was 1943. In 1944, September 8, we organised a mass for some of the families that were in Australia already and for all the fishermen. Then in the same night we organised a dance which I remember only a few people came, but it was our own community. I would say there were about 60 people that night. We enjoyed ourselves, it cost very little, we were all together and we felt that we should do it more often...”

-John De Ceglie

CeglieMolfetta’S Madonna

The original Madonna dei Martiri is a religious and cultural tradition that began in Molfetta, Italy around 700 years ago.

Molfetta is a city on Italy’s Adriatic coast in the region of Puglia. It has been inhabited since ancient times by a succession of Greeks, Normans, Spaniards and French rules.

In the 12th Century, Molfetta was a stopping point Christian crusaders on their way to and from the Holy lands. Crusaders returning from Jerusalem brought with them an image of the Madonna and child and spoke of the protection the image had given them on the battlefield. On return to Italy, the image was placed in a small chapel in a hospital caring for wounded crusaders. Pope Urban later decreed the church be called Our Lady of Martyrs (‘Madonna dei Martiri’).

The image survived subsequent attacks by foreign invaders and an earthquake which destroyed surrounding towns in 1560. The Molfettesi believed it was their devotion to the Madonna that protected them from harm. In 1840, a statue of the Madonna was made and paraded through Molfetta during an annual fest from 8th -15th September each year.

Madonna di Capo d’Orlando

The origins of the feast of the Madonna di Capo d’Orlando in Sicily dates back to the 16thCentury. Capo d’Orlando is a fishing village near the city of Messina whose Madonna has been venerated since 1598. As the story of her devotion, goes, two brothers guarding the castle of a local nobleman were alerted to pirates by a stranger, believed to be Saint Cono. The stranger blew a trumpet altering the locals to danger helping save them from harm. The stranger then fled leaving behind a small box containing the tiny statue of the silver Madonna and child.

Over the years, many miracles of healing and protection from pirates and earthquakes were attributed to the Madonna and a church was erected in her honour. In 1925, the Madonna was stolen from the church and never recovered, and a new statue of the Madonna and child was made to replace the original.

The feast of the Madonna is celebrated in Capo d’Orlando every year on 22 October and runs over several days. AS well as being a religious occasion, the festa also attacks merchants and traders who set up ‘bancarelle’ or stalls on the side of the streets to sell their wares to local villagers.