ST DÉVOTE 🕊️
At the beginning of the 4th century, in Corsica (then a Roman province) the governor under Diocletian launched a major persecution against Christians.
A young Christian woman named Devota was arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and died without renouncing her faith.
After her death, as the governor intended to have her body burned, some Christians stole it and placed it aboard a ship bound for Africa, hoping to give her a proper Christian burial.
During the voyage, a violent storm broke out, but a dove 🕊️ miraculously emerged from Devota’s mouth and guided the boat to the Gaumates valley in Monaco, where it ran aground around January 27.
An oratory was built on the site of her tomb, attracting many pilgrims, and the first miracles soon followed.
One night, a man stole the relics in hopes of profiting from them, but fishermen pursued him by boat, caught him with blows of their oars, and burned his vessel on the beach as an act of expiatory sacrifice.
Later, in the 16th century, during a war against the Genoese and the Pisans, Saint Devota appeared to the people of Monaco and protected them: their enemies besieged the fortress for six months, but were ultimately repelled and abandoned the siege on March 15, 1507.
Since 1924, under the reign of Prince Louis II, the ceremonial burning of the boat has taken place every year on the evening of January 26.
To this day, Saint Devota remains the protective soul of Monaco, honored in every church of the Principality, featured on its currency, and celebrated in the first literary work ever written in the Monégasque language: A legenda de Santa Devota by Louis Notari.
The present church (the one standing today) was built in the 17th century, under the Grimaldi Princes—more precisely during the reign of Prince Honoré II of Monaco (1597–1662), the first modern sovereign prince.
Honoré II had the ancient oratory restored, embellished, and transformed into an official chapel dedicated to Saint Devota.
@official__brume
DEO JUVANTE
