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The Church of St Mary of the Assumption in Gerano: the Baroque Building with a 17th-Century Pictorial Cycle
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta is located in the historic centre of Gerano, in Piazza della Chiesa. The present building dates from the 17th century, built in place of a medieval chapel that had been knocked down because it was too small for the community. Work began in 1621, and was completed in 1640, financed by the Theodoli family, who controlled the fief. The façade is Baroque, plain, with a stone portal and central window.
The Frescoes by Francesco Cozza
The interior has a single nave with three side chapels. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with a cycle of frescoes executed by Francesco Cozza between 1660 and 1665. Cozza, a Calabrian painter trained in Rome in the circle of Pietro da Cortona, painted scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Assumption. The frescoes were restored in 2008, and retain the original colour scheme. In the apse there is an 18th-century painting of the Assumption of Mary, attributed to a pupil of Sebastiano Conca.
What Can Be Seen Today
The church is open for worship and accessible during religious services. The high altar is in 18th-century polychrome marble, featuring a gilded tabernacle. The side chapels preserve wooden statues of processional saints, still used during patronal festivals. From Piazza della Chiesa flights of steps take the visitor to the upper village, affording fine views of the Aniene Valley.
