“O Madonna Mia!” It’s a phrase that far surpasses “oh my god” in Italian–fitting, considering this country’s reverence for the Divine Mother. Madonnina statues are enshrined on street corners, watching over intersections from north to south. She adorns necklaces alongside crosses.

Her image veiled oversees bars, gelaterias, and even butcher shops—a commercial patron saint. You see her plastered on walls throughout Italy, guides taking countless nonne e nonni to famous Marian shrines across Europe. You know you’re Italian when Lourdes, Fatima, and Medjugorje ring an immediate bell.