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The Church of Our Lady of Deliverance: a 14th-century gem on the slopes of Frezzella hill
In the hamlet of Fontana Perrelli, on the slopes of Frezzella hill, stands the Church of Maria Santissima della Libera (Our Lady of Deliverance), one of the oldest religious buildings in the territory of Minturno. The earliest documented mention dates it to 1308, when it was dedicated to St Mary in Bethlehem. Only in subsequent centuries did it take on its current name, linked to the Marian cult that still draws the faithful on the third Sunday of September.
A Gothic portico in front of the entrance
The façade is preceded by a small portico with three pointed arches, supported by two columns carrying ribbed vaults. It is an architectural detail that immediately catches the eye of anyone arriving from the road, with the church slightly raised above the fountain and watering trough that give the locality its name.
Inside, traces of ancient Rome
The interior consists of three naves separated by pillars. There are several elements that point to an even longer history. Set into the left wall is the front face of a Roman cinerary urn, decorated with festoons, a fragment of the ancient past reused — as was often the case — within a Christian setting. On the right wall, there is a rather deteriorated but still legible fresco of the Madonna delle Grazie (Our Lady of Graces).
The feast and the fair
The Fiera della Madonna della Libera (Feast of Our Lady of Deliverance) has been held here since 1939, every third Sunday of September.
