MARIAN ITINERARY
City of Amelia Tourist Portal
In Amelia and in its territory the marian cult has always constituted a solid point of reference in the spiritual maturation of the believers, the same city is consecrated to the Madonna; so many churches, the images, the Marian aedicules.
On the same main door of access to the city, Porta Romana, in 1703 was placed an inscription with which the city of Amelia gave thanks to the Virgin Mary for saving it from a terrible earthquake that in 1703 devastated Central Italy. Above the inscription there is also an image of the Assumption attributed to Mario di Amelia (XV century).
In the historical center there are many churches dedicated to the Marian cult, as:
The Church of Santa Maria dei Laici or Church of the Hospitaletto, where in the 13th century a small hospital was erected by the confraternity of the same name to help the poor and the pilgrims.
The small church houses an image of the Madonna and Child, much venerated in the last century, attributed to Taddeo Zuccari. On the upper floor there is an important fresco (XVI century) attributed to the Sienese School depicting S. Maria dei Laici which represents Mary covering with her cloak all those who rely on her
The Church of the Madonnina (or Santa Maria di Porta) in which a particular image of Mary is venerated: the Madonna is in fact represented in the attitude of giving milk to the baby Jesus, is in fact known as the Madonna del Latte. This is a fresco of the 15th century removed from an arch in an alley of the city. Fresco (16th century) attributed to the Sienese School depicting S. Maria dei Laici which represents Mary covering with her cloak all those who entrust themselves to her.
The Church of the Madonna of the Visitation of the Confraternity of San Girolamo in Posterola preserves a fresco that was once located above one of the city gates.
The image was much venerated because the Virgin granted favors and graces so that Popes Paul III (1548) and Innocent X (1646) granted many indulgences to the faithful who had prayed before it
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta was built on the highest point of the city, where near the high altar is kept the small painted panel of the Assumption, a precious fourteenth-century work long attributed to the Sienese painter Duccio di Boninsegna and later to an anonymous local painter. The image for an ancient tradition is exposed to the veneration of the faithful in the months of May and August with a solemn procession on the 15th.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie In the hamlet of Foce there is the beautiful sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie (XVII century). It preserves a very venerated image of the Madonna (XV century) which was once in a shrine built at the foot of the hill, near the Beccio torrent.
On the 13th of May 1629 the Holy Image was solemnly and miraculously moved to the village where the present Sanctuary was built and where, on the 13th of June 1859, it was crowned with the authorization of Pope Pius IX as a testimony of the many prodigious events occurred through Mary’s intercession.