Vintage UNOAERRE Italy 800 Silver St. Christopher Pilgrim Protective Pendant

Description

Vintage UNOAERRE Italy 800 Silver St. Christopher Pilgrim Protective Pendant
This stunning pendant was hand made in Italy in the first half of the 20th Century by famous Italian designer UNOAERRE before they were widely known. It features a masterfully crafted raised design with Saint Christopher carrying Jesus across a river. The piece is in excellent vintage condition with some patina according to age which can easily be polished away if desired.
This great piece measures approx. 1/2" in diameter and weighs
approx. 1.1 grams. Hallmarked "800" for for a common European silver standard of 80% Silver. Also carrying the "1 AR" (pronounced "Uno A Erre" in Italian) mark.
A very unusual and beautiful piece that would make a great gift for someone going on a journey...
About Saint Christopher and the motive on the medal:
Until the coming of the railroad in mid-19th century, travel on land was difficult and very slow. For the most part travel was done on foot, as few were able to afford horses or oxen to pull their wagons. In the Mediterranean world there were the ancient Roman roads but with the centuries they had gone into disrepair and eventually disappeared.
People who traveled usually did so in groups for protection. The distance between the inns on the road was from 20 to 25 miles, and the travelers had to reach the safety of the villages before nightfall. If they did not arrive by nightfall, their goods could be stolen by thieves or worse. As there was no long distance communication, the travelers never knew if the inn they were walking towards had enough food. When they arrived they were served what was available, and went hungry if there was a famine in the area. Everyone slept in the same large room in the inn, and any coins or valuables the travelers carried had to be kept hidden.
Travel by ship was little better. There were no luxury cabins, the galleys were carrying sand or wheat if they were sailing north from Egypt, silver or olive oil if they were traveling south from Greece and Rome. Travelers stayed on deck. They had to supply their own food and shelter. In rough weather the cooking fires were put out and the travelers had to eat whatever they carried cold.
In this context it is understandable how important it was for travelers to have a saint to whom they could turn for protection. Their prayers of petition went most often to St. Christopher who lived in the Eastern Mediterranean world. He is said to have been a large and strong man, looking for the most powerful person to serve. For a while he thought he had found that in Satan leading him to the life of a thief. He spent some time with a band of robbers preying on travelers. When he saw one of the thieves making the sign of the cross, Christopher discovered that the man feared Jesus more than Satan. Christopher left the gang to serve this more powerful Lord Jesus.
Instead of preying on travelers, Christopher lived by a river to aid those who needed to cross. One day a child asked to be carried to the other side. As Christopher carried the child across, the child became heavier and heavier. Christopher barely made it to the other side. Thinking that the burden of the whole world could not be greater than that child, Christopher discovered he had carried the Lord Jesus Christ. In his aid to travelers every day, Christopher was carrying out the work of Christ.
St. Christopher was eventually martyred by a pagan king. But the memory of his service to others in their travels was kept alive. The image of St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child is his most popular image in holy cards, stained glass windows, and statues of every size. He is one of the most popular saints, and his intercession is petitioned by travelers, soldiers, sailors, those caught in storms, and transportation workers. He no longer has a universally celebrated feast day in the Roman Calendar, but is remembered by many local churches.
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