Santuario della Madonna di Belvedere

Five kilometres from Città di Castello, on the hill once called Caprano, the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Belvedere is distinguished by its octagonal plan and Baroque dome. Built between 1669 and 1684, it houses a venerated image of the Virgin, solemnly crowned in 1703.

Why it matters

The sanctuary was built on the Belvedere hill, where devotion to the image had begun in the earlier church of Santa Maria di Caprano. Antonio Gabrielli and Nicola Barbioni designed the building, whose octagonal plan and dome became a landmark of the Upper Tiber valley. The image was crowned in 1703 with the licence of the Vatican Chapter.

What to notice

The church's plan is an octagon with four short arms beneath the dome. A semicircular portico marks the entrance, and an intricately made wooden door-frame, or bussola, dates to 1883. In the right-hand chapel, dedicated to Saint Vincent, Giovanni Ventura Borghesi painted the Martyrdom of Saint Vincent in 1699. The high altar encloses the venerated image of the Virgin.

Context and history

The image had been venerated for centuries in the church of Santa Maria di Caprano. From the middle of the seventeenth century, reports of miracles drew pilgrims from distant towns. Bishop Francesco Boccapaduli approved construction of the sanctuary and entrusted its design to Gabrielli; the work was completed in 1684. Saint Veronica Giuliani recorded a visit in July 1677 while the building was still rising. An earthquake brought down the dome in 1789, and French troops looted furnishings and ex-votos in 1798. Reconstruction continued through the first half of the nineteenth century. Capuchins took charge in 1996, and a major restoration followed between 2003 and 2007.