Santuario di Santa Maria di Macereto

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Macereto stands on a high plateau in the territory of Visso, surrounded by the Sibillini Mountains. Its travertine-clad octagonal plan and Greek-cross interior make it one of the region's distinctive Renaissance religious buildings. Local tradition associates the site with a Marian image carried by a mule in 1359.

Why it matters

The sanctuary developed from a chapel raised after the reported event of 1359. The present temple began in 1529 with Giovanni Battista da Lugano, who continued a design attributed to Bramante. After Lugano's death, work resumed in 1553 under Filippo Salvi da Bissone and was completed in 1556.

What to notice

Three projecting entrance blocks punctuate the travertine octagon, with sculpted portals and Corinthian pilasters. Inside, the Greek-cross plan is formed by four apses beneath a dome. Six paintings by Simone de Magistris, made between 1580 and 1582, depict scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin. The central apse contains a Resurrection painted by A. Righi in 1598.

Context and history

According to the foundation tradition, a mule carrying a Marian image stopped at this place in 1359, prompting the construction of a first chapel. The later Renaissance building expanded that devotional site into a larger complex, including the Casa dei Pellegrini, Casa del Corpo di Guardia and Palazzo delle Guaite. A change in ground level and the collapse of the bell tower led to the irregular polygonal addition at the rear, now part of the sanctuary's history.