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Church of St Mary of the Mount in Sutri: The scenographic Baroque façade
The Church of Santa Maria del Monte is located in the gardens of Villa Savorelli, on the hill facing Sutri. It has a monumental façade and two side bell towers. Inside is a small hall with a Greek cross plan. The church plays on this disproportion: a scenographic Baroque exterior as opposed to a much more intimate interior.
The Patron and the Architect
The reconstruction of the church dates back to 1725. Marquis Giovanni Battista Muti Papazzurri decided to enhance a 13th-century building in preparation for the Holy Year. He commissioned Sebastiano Cipriani, a Sienese architect operating in Rome and a pupil of Carlo Rainaldi to oversee the project, which included opening the apse, adding two side chapels, and, above all, creating the majestic façade. To build on private land, a special episcopal permit was required: the family had to guarantee public access to the church.
The Architecture
The façade has echoes of the Borromini style: a concave central area framed by two pillars with protruding pilasters, topped by a broken pediment that curves inwards. Above the portal, a massive window floods the interior space with light.
