Chiesa della Misericordia

The Church of the Misericordia faces the obelisk fountain on Tagliacozzo's Piazza dell'Obelisco. Its Mannerist portal depicts the severed head of Saint John the Baptist, reflecting the confraternity's work with condemned prisoners.

Why it matters

The church was the seat of the Misericordia confraternity, dedicated to assisting prisoners condemned to death. It is commonly dated to the 16th century, though a bricked-up late-Gothic portal on Via Borgonuovo indicates an earlier building phase.

What to notice

The main portal has fluted Tuscan columns beneath a tympanum with the image of the saint's severed head. Inside, three altars reflect different periods: the high altar has a frescoed altarpiece of the Decollation of Saint John; another holds a Baptism of Christ; a Baroque polychrome-marble altar frames a painting of the Magdalene. The nave has a barrel vault and an organ from the late 17th century.

Context and history

The confraternity of San Giovanni decollato combined prayer with acts of mercy toward the condemned, including accompanying them to execution and burying them. The church stands on the town's principal square. Its second portal, now blocked, preserves evidence of an earlier phase whose date is not established.