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The Votive Temple of Terminillo: the church built for St Francis on the mountaintop
In the Monti Reatini, at over 1,600 metres above sea level, stands a church that is the result of an ambitious idea: to build a temple dedicated to St Francis following his proclamation as Patron Saint of Italy. The Tempio Votivo del Terminillo is a modern building whose foundation stone was brought directly from Assisi. Its history is one of a struggle against the mountain. The first Mass was celebrated here in 1956 within walls that were still bare.
A façade that tells a story
The façade, clad in pink and white stone from Assisi, seems to be a natural extension of the rock itself. Its protiro — or prothyrum, the small canopy above the entrance — mirrors the shape of Francis’s Porziuncola church-hut in Assisi. It was added in 1981 to shield the doorway from wind and snow. A true mountain church in every sense.
Inside, mosaics and a very special relic
The interior comes as a surprise, with its long barrel vault and coloured light filtering through the stained-glass windows dedicated to the Canticle of the Creatures. The side chapels are decorated with mosaics by the Vatican School, but the true heart of the temple lies elsewhere — in the urn that holds a small portion of the Saint's ashes, a direct link to his tomb in Assisi. Before it, a votive lamp burns continuously.
For opening times and further information, visitors are advised to consult the official sources of the shrine or the local tourism authority.
