Chiesa di Santa Maria della Cima

Santa Maria della Cima crowns Genzano Vecchio above the street associated with the town's Infiorata. The old duomo combines a seventeenth-century Baroque rebuilding with paintings and relics central to local devotion.

Why it matters

The church served as Genzano's principal religious centre before the development of the newer town below. Its elevated position remains closely connected with the flower-petal compositions of the Infiorata, giving the building a ceremonial relationship with the surrounding streets.

What to notice

The facade rises in two orders above an arched entrance composition. Inside, the single nave is accompanied by side altars and chapels. Francesco Cozza's high altarpiece depicts the Madonna in glory with Saints Peter and Paul. A Crucifixion with Saints Anthony Abbot and Anthony of Padua is attributed to Giovanni Battista Gaulli, known as Baciccio. Later decoration includes work by Eugenio Cisterna.

Context and history

A medieval church preceded the reconstruction commissioned from Giovanni Antonio De Rossi in 1635. Enlargement changed the orientation and gave the building its Baroque character. Relics venerated as those of Saints Tigri and Vincenza were brought to Genzano in 1669 through Livia Cesarini's patronage, adding to the church's importance in the town's religious life.