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Basilica of St Mary Magdalene: the Cathedral of Monterotondo
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maddalena is the cathedral of Monterotondo, dominating Piazza Papa Giovanni Paolo II in the town centre. In 1621, the Council of the Forty decreed the construction of a church larger than the original 14th-century chapel. Work began in 1630, a year after the symbolic placement of the cross, funded by the Barberini family, who had purchased the fief from the Orsini in 1626. In 1641, Pope Urban VIII visited the cathedral, donating sacred vestments and a massive bell weighing 1,100 kg.
The Baroque Interior
The layout follows Vignola’s planimetric concept: a single nave in a Latin cross plan, with six side chapels (three per side) connected by arched passages. The high altar is a 2nd-century AD strigilated Roman sarcophagus. According to tradition, it houses the relics of the martyrs Sixtus and Boniface. The vault features a large fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin, attributed to Giovanni Domenico Piestrini. In the apse, there are three polychrome stained-glass windows and frescoes depicting episodes from the life of Mary Magdalene. The chapel of the Madonna holds a wooden statue of the "Virgin Mary of Purity," possibly a copy of a work by Sansovino.
The Del Grillo Family and the Minor Basilica
In 1699, the Marquises Del Grillo succeeded the Barberini family, and adorned the church with new stuccoes. Their coats of arms, taking the form of a cricket, adorn the columns. On October 6, 1845, Pope Gregory XVI elevated the church to the status of a minor basilica. Outside is the "Pincetto", a panoramic terrace, built in the early 20th century.
