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The Church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows in Castrocielo and a 14th-Century Fresco on the Shore of Lake Capo d’Acqua
The Chiesa della Madonna dei Sette Dolori (Church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows), also known as Madonna del Pianto (Our Lady of Weeping), is located in Castrocielo, in the province of Frosinone, on the shore of Lake Capo d’Acqua. It is a small Romanesque church, with a portico of round arches that are reflected in the water. The lake is fed by a spring that in Roman times supplied the “Forme d’Aquino,” a system of basins built to defend the city of Aquinum. The entire area has been a Natural Monument of Lazio since 2017.
From Romanesque church to Baroque altars
The original layout was a single nave with single-lancet windows, narrow openings typical of the Romanesque style. In the 18th century the lancet windows were walled up, and three Baroque altars were added. The façade still retains its portal with a lunette that was once painted, flanked by two small square windows with stone grilles. During the Second World War, the building was hit, and the interior frescoes were severely damaged.
The Crucifixion saved and transferred
The most important fresco is a 14th-century Crucifixion, with Christ at the centre, the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene to the right, St John and King David to the left. In 1973 it was removed from the wall and restored by Prof. Biagio Cascone, restorer at the Vatican Museums. Today it is housed in the Church of San Rocco (St Roch) in the centre of Castrocielo, which was turned into a picture gallery after its restoration in 1996.
