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Church of the Most Holy Saviour in Bolsena: the church that wanted to be a fortress
The Church of the Santissimo Salvatore (Most Holy Saviour) stands at the highest point of Bolsena, facing the Rocca Monaldeschi della Cervara. The entire lake can be seen from its churchyard, and the view alone is worth the climb. The building dates back to 1900, commissioned by Abbot Giuseppe Cozza and designed by architect Luigi Codini. It has two massive bell towers and a neo-Gothic façade with a large polychrome marble rose window.
A church born as a fortress
The original plan called for it to be built close to the Rocca, and to look more like a military building than a church. The two towers on either side — one of which, missing its top floor, has unusual asymmetry that stays in your mind — are what remains of that early design. The project was never fully carried out however. In 1914, a fire destroyed the interior, and the reconstruction in 1931 shifted the building towards a neo-Romanesque style. Today, the interior walls alternate bands of ochre-yellow and grey volcanic stone. In the lunette above the main portal, a ceramic tile depicts the Saviour.
The stage of the Mysteries of Saint Cristina
Every 23 July, the statue of Saint Cristina, patron saint of the city, arrives here in procession from the Basilica, passing through five squares, where the Mysteries are performed - silent living tableaux re-enacting her martyrdom. The statue remains in the church overnight, and on the morning of the 24th it takes the same route back to the Basilica.
