Santuario della Madonna di Valverde

The Shrine of the Madonna di Valverde is dedicated to Tarquinia's patroness, whose image is venerated in the town's historic centre. The church and former convent preserve a link to the thirteenth-century Servites, while the May devotion to the Madonna connects the sanctuary to the civic life of Tarquinia.

Why it matters

The municipal tourism portal dates the church and convent complex to 1257–1274, when it belonged to the Servi della beata Maria Madre di Cristo, the Servite order. The three-naved church and former convent are now municipal property, and the church preserves a Byzantine-style painting of the Madonna. Since 2010, the patronal feast has been fixed on 8 May by episcopal decree, after a tradition of movable dates lasting more than five centuries.

What to notice

The painted image is the focus of devotion to the Madonna Santissima di Valverde. The three-naved church reflects the complex's medieval foundation while its later history is visible in the altered fabric. The sanctuary stands within the historic town, where the devotion to the patroness is part of a broader landscape of churches, towers and Etruscan monuments.

Context and history

The shrine's history begins with the Servite complex of the thirteenth century. After centuries of changing fortunes, the church and former convent passed to the municipality. May celebrations and processions have linked the venerated image with the civic life of Tarquinia.