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HISTORY OF THE PAINTING OF ST. MICHELE ARCANGELO

 
On 6  of September 2007, before the feast of the Madonna della Milicia I was in Altavilla Milicia. Every year I participate in the celebrations dedicated to this Madonna as I am very devoted. Around 11.00 pm while I was walking through the streets of the town, in the midst of the smoke of roast and many stalls at the end of the town, I see Moroccan or Tunisian sellers, certainly Muslim, who were selling sacred images. In the middle of these, hung by a thread with a clothespin, there was a canvas depicting St. Michael. The beauty of the image and the vivid colors made me approach to ask for the price of the canvas; knowing the amount, without even bargaining, I bought the canvas and with joy I carried it rolled up for the whole evening. After the party, a week later, I went to a framer and chose the color of the sky that still frames the picture. I later hung the picture at home. The following year, on 7 September 2008, the eve of the feast of Our Lady, while I was sleeping in Altavilla, I dreamed of being at home. In the dream I saw the image of St. Michael coming out of the picture and becoming alive; he was much taller than me armed with a sword and breastplate. He took me by the hand and dragged me out high into the starry sky, I saw the illuminated countries and when we passed over Termini Imerese, he revealed to me that he guarded the four corners of the universe and commanded throngs of angels to protect the breath of God and the whole first part of the dictation. Later he took me to a very high mountain, over a rock and underneath there was a source of frozen water. I asked him where we were and he told me to be between Polizzi Generosa and Petralia and to look up where he showed me a Madonna dressed in white holding a baby Jesus in her arms, also telling me that I could not be wrong on the spot and that it was his great desire to be brought to that place. Later he showed me crowds of people who went up the mountain, prayed and thanked the Lord. At this point I asked him how I could find that place, considering that I had never been to those areas and he replied with a smile that I would find it. When I woke up I wrote the entire first part of the dictation. After about two months I had the same dream and this time San Michele scolded me because I hadn't done anything for him and took me back to the same mountain. Arriving at the same place he told me that from there he would do great things and dictate the central part of the dictation to me. Finally he told me to have faith and to do what he himself told me. After another period I would repeat the same dream and this time San Michele showed me a shepherd in an antique white Renault and told me to follow him that he would take me to the appointed place and dictate the last part of the dictated, adding to report everything to the local priest. As soon as I woke up I wrote everything, I decided to tell everything to a friend of mine who, seeing me afflicted and sad, accompanied me to Altavilla, where there is a doctor named Genualdi Santino, married to a doctor from Petralia. Doctor Genualdi made aware of the fact and immediately made himself available, informing his wife. One Sunday in October 2008 his wife put us in contact with a shepherd named Bellina Franco together with my friend and the doctor, we went to visit this shepherd, who accompanied us to the mountain. We continued on foot in the fog and in a light rain. At some point to my amazement, I found the place seen in the dream. The rock and the spring were the same; the pastor was stunned and from almost an atheist he became a believer and informed us that he was always available whenever we needed a guide and at the same time he made us aware that the place was owned by the Madonie park. After about a month, I submitted an application for authorization for the installation of the structure and the framework. After a year, receiving no response, I tried to get in touch with the park through the manager, engineer Sabbatini, but with great regret I discovered that it did not interest anyone, on the contrary they were very upset and did everything they could not to release me. authorization. After another year and various ups and downs, I managed to get this authorization.
The archangel Michael told me to place the painting on the second Sunday of May and to return on the last Sunday of September, and so I did, on 13 May 2012 I went to Petralia and after the holy mass I went up the mountain to place the framework in the structure that I had previously built, there were not many about a hundred people, the priest Santino Scileppi after the mass went up with us on the mountain and gave us God's blessing.
I returned to the mountain on Sunday 30 September 2012, but this time after some graces received from God through the intercession of the archangel Michael, there were more than two thousand people on the pilgrimage. Subsequently the Archangel told me to build the via crucis and to mount it all along the path, and to climb all together while reciting the via crucis.
Today this mountain has become a destination for pilgrims who all year round go in front of the effigy of St. Michael to pray to our lord Jesus and to take the water that was blessed by the archangel Michael.