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Church of St Lawrence Martyr: the hidden story behind the bronze door
The Church of San Lorenzo Martire stands in the square bearing the same name, in the heart of the small island on the river Liri, very close to the Cascata Grande (Great Waterfall). It is the main church of Isola del Liri and, together with the Boncompagni-Viscogliosi castle, represents the most important monument of the old town.
A church commissioned and funded by the dukes
Construction began in 1630, entirely financed by the Boncompagni dukes. The plan is a Latin cross, with two towers: one serves as a bell tower, the other as a clock tower. Beneath the dome, a fresco depicts the Madonna of Loreto (Our Lady of Loreto), patron saint of the city, carried aloft by angels. In the apse, the large painting of the martyrdom of St Lawrence is the work of Aurelio Marini of Velletri. On either side of the apse, two monumental altars bear the coats of arms of the Boncompagni and Santafiora families.
12 May 1799
A plaque at the entrance recalls the darkest day for the Church of San Lorenzo Martire. French troops stormed the church during Pentecost and massacred 533 people. On 1 January 1800, after seven months, the church reopened to the public.
What to see and when to go
The 19th-century façade features four travertine pilasters and two statues of St Peter and St Paul, the work of sculptor Giuseppe Ranaldi from Arpino. The bronze door is also his, depicting scenes of the martyrdom, the Vertical waterfall and the coat of arms of Isola del Liri. On the night of 10 August, parishioners light a great bonfire in the river, at the foot of the waterfall.
