Took this last week in a rain drenched Naples, Italy. Trying to find out what the story is behind the statuette and flowers, why and for what purpose someone has placed it there, I thought maybe someone here would know. It´s on the outer edge of a groyne, maybe hundred meters off shore, in the Bay of Naples. Any ideas?

[wcchamp18]

Very nice capture! I'd guess that the statue of Mary was placed there due to someone losing their life there or due to a boat or ship having crashed there and lives were lost.

[magkelly]

It might be an Our Lady of Napoli statue or a Stella Maris statue. Mary is actually one of the Catholic patron saints of the city. There is an actual Our Lady of Napoli (Santa Maria del Carmine) icon in a church there that's revered. Also, it's not unusual for cities to put their patron saints where sailors can see her coming and going as Stella Maris or Mary as the Star of the Sea is a patron of sailors. Roses, they're her flower so they're probably there for her, not as a memorial. She's probably both actually in this circumstance. The guardian of an entryway to Naples and a Stella Maris for the people on the water. I collect old holy cards as an art thing. Actually the Stella Maris images are favorites of mine. They're beautiful. It's like she's a Goddess of the Sea rising from the sea foam with a star on her head. The imagery is very Arthurian, very Lady of the Lake...

Our Lady of Naples

Our Lady, Star of the Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Old holy cards, Stella Maris...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__h2lHY_FoHA/SXKiStVB1uI/AAAAAAAAAOE/BrzXX4yjRio/s1600-h/stellamaris

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3il06VWOm1r0kx5qo1_500.jpg

and a Stella Maris statue....

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ywf-KkMdzBk/TA6sSvAkHdI/AAAAAAAAAlI/4ymSuY7s60c/s1600/stellamaris.jpg

[Nick Nero]

Very nice capture! I'd guess that the statue of Mary was placed there due to someone losing their life there or due to a boat or ship having crashed there and lives were lost.

Thanks, Tracy. Walking in the rain and with the hood of my jacket up I´m very glad not only to have spotted her but also for taking time to find shelter and change lens. // Nick

[Nick Nero]

It might be an Our Lady of Napoli statue or a Stella Maris statue. Mary is actually one of the Catholic patron saints of the city. There is an actual Our Lady of Napoli (Santa Maria del Carmine) icon in a church there that's revered. Also, it's not unusual for cities to put their patron saints where sailors can see her coming and going as Stella Maris or Mary as the Star of the Sea is a patron of sailors. Roses, they're her flower so they're probably there for her, not as a memorial. She's probably both actually in this circumstance. The guardian of an entryway to Naples and a Stella Maris for the people on the water. I collect old holy cards as an art thing. Actually the Stella Maris images are favorites of mine. They're beautiful. It's like she's a Goddess of the Sea rising from the sea foam with a star on her head. The imagery is very Arthurian, very Lady of the Lake...

Our Lady of Naples

Our Lady, Star of the Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Old holy cards, Stella Maris...

stellamaris (image)

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3il06VWOm1r0kx5qo1_500.jpg

and a Stella Maris statue....

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ywf-KkMdzBk/TA6sSvAkHdI/AAAAAAAAAlI/4ymSuY7s60c/s1600/stellamaris.jpg

That´s just wonderful In my google searches I did come across one of the resources you point at but didn´t make the connection. Now I´ve got some reading up to do // Thank you!