Origin of the Project

The project is born from a symbolic dialogue between Saint Quirinus of Siscia, a 4th-century bishop and martyr, and the Madonna SS. Incoronata of Foggia, a Marian icon deeply rooted in the popular devotion of Southern Italy. Two figures distant in time yet united by a single thread: the witness of faith, lived as a radical choice, sacrifice, and total trust in God.

Artistic Collaboration

From this interweaving emerges an artist's necklace, created through the collaboration between Maggi Controls and RichFree (Monica Frisone, Artistic Director; Alex Ricchebuono, CEO). A synergy aimed at creating unique and exclusive pieces.

The Work

The piece is built around: a hand-silvered brass plaque depicting the Madonna Incoronata, minted by Maggi around 1937; a Roman follis of Valens, minted in Siscia. The coin, originally a tool of imperial and religious propaganda, here becomes a tangible sign of the pagan world that Christian martyrdom is called to overcome.

The Symbolic Dialogue

Saint Quirinus, who refused the state cult until his death in the Sava River, embodies absolute fidelity to Christ. The Madonna Incoronata represents the maternal and victorious presence of Mary in human history. Martyrdom and coronation do not oppose each other but complete one another.

Meaning of the Work

The “Passages of Light” necklace unites numismatics, goldsmithing art, and devotion, transforming fragments of sacred history into a contemporary object. Designed to be worn as a sign of faith, living memory, and silent prayer, it becomes a small portable sacred space.