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Sanctuary of Our Lady of Heaven in Fondi: the statue that only comes out every 25 years
In the heart of Fondi, on the site of the ancient Roman forum, stands the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria, overlooking the main square. Built in 1490 by order of Onorato II Caetani and consecrated in 1508, the church was designated as the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Cielo (Our Lady of Heaven) in September 2013, in recognition of the local devotion to Maria Regina (Mary Enthroned).
A statue governed by tradition
The soul of the shrine is a wooden statue from 1613, carved from a single olive trunk by Neapolitan sculptor Giovanni Battista Amato. It depicts the Virgin Mary with her eyes turned upwards, hence the name "Madonna del Cielo" (Our Lady of Heaven). Tradition dictates that the statue is carried in procession only once every 25 years. Local lore maintains that every attempt to hold the procession earlier has failed. The first documented procession dates back to 1854.
Architectural features
The facade is made of travertine, and features three portals (doorways), with a bell tower that spans the street, forming a pointed (ogive) arch. The interior follows a three-aisled ground plan (a nave and two aisles), with square pillars and three polygonal apses. Among the paintings on display, one can admire a 16th-century altarpiece depicting the Dormition and Assumption of Mary, attributed to the Neapolitan School.
