A commemorative plaque in Ukrainian honouring the 17th-century Cossacks has been unveiled in Palermo

A commemorative plaque in Ukrainian has been unveiled in Palermo in honour of the Ukrainian Cossacks who, almost 400 years ago, contributed to the construction of the Sanctuary of Saint Rosalia on Mount Pellegrino. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. 

The unveiling ceremony was attended by Andriy Yurash, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta; the Archbishop-Metropolitan of Palermo, Primate of Sicily Corrado Lorefice, representatives of the Ukrainian community, local and regional authorities, the clergy and pilgrims.                                                   📜 The history of this shrine has been linked to Ukrainians since 1627. In December 1627, Ukrainian Cossacks led by Mark Yakymovskyi arrived in Palermo. The day before, they had mutinied on a Turkish galley near the island of Lesbos, freed themselves from captivity and rescued around 220 Christian captives, most of whom were Ukrainians. On 7 December, the Cossacks visited the Shrine of Saint Rosalia on Monte Pellegrino. As a token of gratitude for their liberation from many years of captivity, they donated part of the spoils they had captured towards the construction of the church, which was only just beginning at the time. Today, commemorative plaques at the Sanctuary in Latin and Italian serve as a reminder of this story. A new plaque in Ukrainian reproduces the content of the historical inscriptions and also clarifies the date of the event and the name of the Cossack leader in accordance with modern historical research. The unveiling was attended by Andriy Yurash, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta, Archbishop-Metropolitan Corrado Lorefice of Palermo, representatives of the Ukrainian community, local and regional authorities, the clergy and pilgrims. This story serves as a reminder of Ukraine’s centuries-old ties with Sicily and the broader European dimension of Ukrainian history. And the story of the Cossacks, who fought for liberation from bondage almost 400 years ago, takes on special symbolic significance today for Ukraine, which continues its struggle for freedom. 📅 On 7 December 2027, to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Ukrainian Cossacks in Palermo, a special Ukrainian pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Saint Rosalia is planned.