The presentation focuses on Countess Marianna de Fusco, described by Metropolis Web as a central figure in the spiritual and social renewal of the area alongside her husband, Bartolo Longo. The volume, written by Attilio Pepe, traces her connection with Longo and with the origins of the Pompei mission.
The meeting is scheduled inside the Basilica Pontificia della Madonna della Neve in Torre Annunziata, according to Metropolis Web. The local paper presents the event as an occasion to revisit de Fusco’s role beside Longo in the religious life that led to the foundation of new Pompeii.
The basilica is a longstanding devotional landmark in Torre Annunziata, associated with the veneration of Maria Santissima della Neve. Its institutional history runs from the earlier church of Ave Gratia Plena to designation as a Marian sanctuary in 1954 and elevation to minor basilica status in 1979, according to the Italian Ministry of Culture catalogue.
That catalogue traces the sanctuary’s origins to the medieval chapel of the Annunciata and records the rediscovery and restoration of the Marian image. The church became a minor basilica on 21 July 1979.
The civic importance of the devotion is confirmed by the Comune of Torre Annunziata, which identifies the basilica as the place where the image of Maria Santissima della Neve is preserved. The municipality links local celebrations to the tradition of the image’s finding by local fishermen in the 14th century, and identifies 5 August and 22 October as important devotional dates.
