History of the miraculous portrait of Our Lady of Scutari
This medieval painting is called "Mater Boni Consilii" (en. Mother of Good Counsel; sq. Zoja e K'shillit t'mirë), also known as "Our Lady of Scutari" (sq. Zoja e Shkodrës). It's located in the Augustinian Church of Genazzano, near Rome. Many scholars believe it was painted by the Italian renaissance artist Gentile da Fabriano during the first two decades of XV century. What makes it special, is its story. According to the Medieval legend, on the feast day of St. Mark, in 1467, [during the time of the Albanian-Ottoman war], two Albanian noblemen were praying in the church, asking for protection of the Holy Mary before exiling to Italy. The image, which was located in Shkodër (it. Scutari), was, allegedly, lifted in the air by angels, who announced the fall of the city under the Ottomans, and accompanied the two men to Rome. Thus, miraculously, it was transported to Genazzano. The locals, as the tradition says, in the midst of celebration, heard ...