The image of Our Lady of Pompeii represents Our Lady of the Rosary as Queen of Heaven. She and Her Son, Jesus, are handing out Rosaries to Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena. The Pompeii portrait is derived from the Eastern icon style of the 6th century.
Present devotion to Our Lady of Pompeii owes much to Blessed Bartolo Longo, one of Her most zealous apostles. Bartolo Longo was born in 1841, the son of a doctor and a devout Catholic mother. His mother ensured from an early age that Bartolo developed a great love for Our Lady through praying the Rosary.

During his student days, however, his friends drew him towards the occult. Eventually he became a Satanic priest and condemned the Catholic Church, deriding the hierarchy and the established Catholic system.

A saintly priest with a deep devotion to the Rosary brought Bartolo back to the faith. With renewed zeal Bartolo vowed to work for the poor and needy and endeavoured to spread devotion to Mary through the Rosary.

On visiting Pompeii in 1872 he aimed to evangelize the people using the Rosary. What he needed, though, was a suitable image of the Blessed Mother to aid his mission. Fortunately a Dominican sister supplied him with a painting of Our Lady of the Rosary, and after restoration this painting was exposed for public veneration.

In 1883 a sanctuary was built for the image and consecrated in 1891.

Many miracles are attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Pompeii and details from some of Her grateful recipients can be gleaned from the links below.