Museo della Vara e dei Giganti

"This exhibition is permanent and is promoted by the Municipality of Messina and the Vara Committee with the support of the Friends of the Museum Association. It includes ancient depictions of the Assumption, the triumphal chariot of the Vara and the two colossi Mata and Grifone, which symbolize the final dominion of the Latin church over the Eastern one. It is one of the highest expressions of the history and culture of Messina."

pippo gs

"This exhibition, promoted by the Municipality of Messina and the Vara Committee with the support of the Friends of the Museum Association, includes ancient depictions of the Assumption, the Vara triumphal chariot, and the two giants Mata and Grifone. It represents one of the finest expressions of Messina's history and culture."

Riccardo Samperi

"A centuries-old tradition is revived not only in the always well-attended Ferragosto event, but also in the City Hall's exhibition halls, permanently. This is finally happening thanks to the synergy between the public and private sectors, between administrators and citizens, who are genuinely devoted to the Patron Saint of Messina and tied to the city's ancient and noble traditions. A search for identity that bears spontaneous fruit, far from any speculative impulse. It is no coincidence that the artifacts, some of which are particularly rare and precious, come from private collections and have been loaned completely free of charge, confirming a sincere attachment to the land where they live. These are fertile themes of a "lifelong education" long desired by all but practiced by few. Proposing a permanent exhibition on the Vara and the Giants might seem superfluous, given that every Messina resident presumes to know the ins and outs of this great festival. In reality, the Vara and the Giants, which have become symbols of the city, conceal ancient knowledge, the fruit of a thousand-year-old culture. The chariot of the Assumption symbolically narrates Mary's ascension to heaven in body and soul, in a progressive triumph celebrated by angels, cherubim, and seraphim, as seen in the works of the great masters of the past. The celestial pyramid concludes with the Son pushing the Mother into the empyrean, according to a pattern of relationships still consolidated in our society today: honor your father and your mother, even though you are the Almighty. The giants Mata and Grifone, erroneously referred to as Ham and Rhea, or even worse, as the mythical founders of Messina, represent something entirely different: the end of a political-religious dispute that in the 15th century finally saw the Latin Church triumph over the Eastern Church, which for centuries had been predominant in the Peloritani area. The author of the horses is said to have been none other than the great Leonardo. These are hypotheses and suggestions that still inspire wonder in the younger citizens of Messina who gaze upon these statues, a silent yet eloquent testimony to a complex history. This exhibition, promoted by the Municipality of Messina and the Vara Committee with the support of the Friends of the Museum Association, includes ancient depictions of the Assumption, the Messina triumphal chariot, and the two colossi. These works were produced locally, but also draw on the accounts of Grand Tour travelers, demonstrating the attention that all of Europe paid to our Mid-August celebrations, whose ceremonial displays and popular participation still inspire emotion, wonder, and devotion today."

Marco Grassi