Fascinating stories. Thank you so much for sharing.
I have read Virgil's work in both spanish and english and that alone is a source of marvelous stories. I have also read Dante's Divine Comedy and Virgil's role in the epic poem is just mythical, but I did not know his image/memory was venerated in Naples to the extent you've just narrated.
It goes on to prove that floklore precedes any other form of narratives or offcial discourses.

I find the story of virgil's horse statue very instsresting

The practice infuriated the local church leaders who decided to destroy the statue once and for all, and only the head was saved.

What people did around the statue is not as farfetched as many sanctioned practices in churches, and yet, some practices make sense to religious authorities whereas others produce outrage and condemnation.