Chiesa di Santa Maria del Suffragio

The Church of Santa Maria del Suffragio, known as the Anime Sante, stands on Piazza del Duomo in L'Aquila. Built after the 1703 earthquake as a memorial for the dead, it suffered a second major loss when its dome collapsed in the 2009 earthquake; the dome was rebuilt during the restoration completed in 2018.

Why it matters

After the 1703 earthquake destroyed the oratory of San Giuseppe dei Minimi, the Confraternity of the Suffrage resolved to build a church in memory of the victims. Carlo Buratti designed the building, which opened in 1719 without its later façade and dome. Its position opposite the cathedral made it a major feature of the city's principal square.

What to notice

The concave façade, designed by Giovan Francesco Leomporri, uses Corinthian pilasters and white stone from Poggio Picenze. The portal's sculpted skeleton and inscription express the church's devotional purpose: prayers, supplications and alms, rather than tears, benefit the dead. Inside, a single nave opens into chapels. The dome above the crossing was designed by Giuseppe Valadier in the early nineteenth century. Teofilo Patini's paintings and an 1897 organ by Pacifico Inzoli add later artistic layers.

Context and history

The church's history reflects two major earthquakes in L'Aquila. After the 1703 disaster, the building took shape over several decades, with its façade added in 1769 and Valadier's dome completed in the nineteenth century. On 6 April 2009 the dome and lantern collapsed and the façade detached from adjacent walls. Restoration began in 2014, supported in part by a contribution from France, and the church was reinaugurated on 6 December 2018. A chapel inside commemorates the victims of the 2009 earthquake.