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Collegiate Church of St Mary of the Assumption in Roccasecca dei Volsci: Fiasella and St Maximus
Located in Piazza Umberto I, at the highest point of Roccasecca dei Volsci, the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta has medieval origins, though its current appearance dates back to the 17th century. The Massimo family, lords of the fiefdom, oversaw its restoration.
The paintings and sculptures
The two-level façade is punctuated by four pilasters. It features a portal with a tympanum on the lower level, and a central niche flanked by two semicircular windows on the upper level. Inside, the four side chapels house 17th-century paintings by Domenico Fiasella, a master trained in the school of Caravaggio, alongside frescoes depicting St Cecilia, St Lucy, and Our Lady of the Rosary. The church also houses wooden sculptures of St Maximus and St Sebastian, both dating from the 16th century.
The body of the Patron Saint beneath the altar
Beneath the high altar lie the remains of St Maximus, the patron saint of the town. His relics, rediscovered in 1599, were originally kept in the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere in Rome. They were brought here toward the end of the 17th century by order of Cardinal Carlo Camillo Massimo. This translation highlights the close bond between the feudal family and the veneration of the saint.
