The giant 17-metre monument will be officially inaugurated on 6 May.
By 1 May at the latest, all works on one of the largest monuments of Virgin Mary in the world are expected to be completed and the opening is scheduled for 6 May. The statue of Our Lady of Loreto will be 17 metres in height and will be set on the Gaj hill above Primošten in Croatia. The monument will be brought from Zagreb on 20 March, and by early May all works around the monument should be finished, reports Šibenski on March 13, 2017.
The statue will be covered with a mosaic of gold, silver and coloured glass, and the official inauguration of the monument is scheduled for 6 May, four days before the feast of Our Lady of Loreto, the patron of Primošten.
At a session of the Primošten Municipal Council held on Friday, it was decided that the shrine will be protected by a video surveillance system, while the monument itself will be protected by security guards as well. Councillors also discussed the drafting of documents for the construction of an access path with steps up to the Gaj hill. In the vicinity of the monument, there are plans to open a souvenir shop, a coffee bar and toilet facilities for visitors.
Mayor of Primošten Stipe Petrina and his associates met recently with representatives of Italian project Cammini Lauretani, which wants to connect Marian shrines in Europe and other parts of the world. During their stay in Primošten, the Italian representatives also visited the site where the monument is being constructed.
“This project is unique in Croatia and beyond. It has been an object of considerable interest and acclaim, and a blessing has been given by the Holy See and Pope Francis”, claims the municipality.
In an earlier interview, Mayor Petrina said that the monument to Virgin Mary would be visible from Italy in clear weather. It is expected that the monument, when completed, will become one of the largest Marian monuments in the world.
Interestingly, according to the municipality, the inauguration ceremony is supposed to be modest and humble. Unlike the monument itself...
