Convento di Santa Maria dei Lumi

The Franciscan sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Lumi stands outside the walls of Civitella del Tronto, with a church, monastic house and cloister. Its Romanesque facade and wooden statue of the Madonna dei Lumi are among the complex's defining features.

Why it matters

The sanctuary forms a religious counterpart to the fortress across the valley. Its complex combines church, convent and cloister, and its Madonna statue continues a local devotional tradition.

What to notice

The facade has a portico of six round arches on octagonal columns. Inside, the church has two naves and a wooden high altar; the polychrome statue of the Madonna and Child is known as the Madonna dei Lumi. The cloister is arranged around a central well.

Context and history

A Benedictine grange associated with the abbey of Montesanto preceded the Franciscan convent. The site passed to the Franciscans in the medieval period, and the buildings are dated to 1466 in historical accounts. The complex was affected by the sieges of the fortress and by later periods of suppression and restoration. It remains a Marian sanctuary outside Civitella's walls.