Dream of Italy – with Marisa Tomei (PBS)

Dream of Italy (PBS) is a television series hosted by American presenter, Kathy McCabe, in which she explores the country she loves the most, Italy. Part personal journey of discovery, part travel guide, the series delves into the food, wine and culture of the whole Italian peninsula and its islands. As her fixer and location manager, Fabio Di Segni has been filming with her over the years, organizing production services, researching story ideas, scouting and gaining access to locations, finding contributors and getting film permits.

Kathy’s own family hales from the Campania region of Italy, and in a previous episode she visited Castelvetere, the home of her grandfather who emigrated to the US. There she renewed old family ties and the Mayor awarded her an honorary citizen of the town.

In Campania, the Catholic faith is alive and well and each town has its ancient rituals and celebrations, often very colourful with fireworks, music and singing, and usually around the cult of the Madonna. In this episode, Kathy is joined by Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei whose family also has roots in Campania.

In this episode of Dream of Italy, Kathy and Marisa explore the traditions surrounding the much-loved Black Madonna of Moiano, a town in the Benevento province.Every September 8^th since the 1500’s, descendants of Moiano return to join the town’s residents in honoring the Black Madonna on her feast day. The story goes that around 1571 the Turks invaded Italy and would not allow the people to practice Christianity. When the Turks were eventually defeated and driven out of Italy, the people of Moiano believed that the victory was due to their devotion to the Black Madonna, which Is why she was given the title ‘Santa Maria della Libera’ (Our Lady of Liberty).

In fact, the origin of the Black Madonna is much older, going back as far as ancient Egypt and the cult of Isis, also depicted as a black goddess, seated with a child on her lap. Historians believe that images of Isis were brought by ancient Greeks to Italy where she was eventually absorbed into the Christian faith and became the Black Madonna.

The statue of the Black Madonna and Baby Jesus is carried out of the church in a huge procession through the town involving hundreds of people, fireworks and music.

Then follows a very private ceremony in the church where people pray to the Black Madona and lick the flagstones of the floor. To respect their privacy, Fabio Di Segni asked the crew not to film this very personal act of devotion.

In the evening, Kathy and Marisa Tomei headed to the site of another Black Madonna near Montevergine in the Caserta region of Campania. Here, the crew filmed a group of musicians playing the Tammurriata, a song accompanied by tambourines and drums, which has been passed down through the centuries and is believed by some to have healing powers. ‘It’s very beautiful,’ says Alessandra Belloni, expert on the Back Madonna, ‘it’s a devotional dance. When you watch it, you feel it’s sensual but it’s done as a devotion to her, the Madonna.’

Dream of Italy is available on PBS