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Sanctuary of Santa Rosa in Viterbo: where the body of the patron saint has lain for centuries
The Sanctuary of Santa Rosa, located in the centre of Viterbo, is the place where the body of the city's patron saint is preserved. It was originally the Monastery of Santa Maria dell'Ordine di San Damiano (St Mary of the Order of St Damian), built above an ancient oratory dedicated to St Mary.
Transformations over the centuries
The church was originally called Santa Maria. It took the name of Santa Rosa (St Rose) in the 14th century, when the body of the young Viterbo-born saint was transferred here at the behest of Pope Alexander IV. From that moment, the cult grew, and so did the space, with continuous expansions and restorations: the façade designed by Vincenzo Federici in 1845, the consecration in 1850 at the behest of Cardinal Pianetti, and the dome completed in 1913.
Lost frescoes and a surviving work
Inside, there is an outstanding polyptych by Francesco di Antonio da Viterbo (known as il Balletta): a Madonna enthroned with Child between St Rose and St Catherine of Alexandria. This work was created after the loss of the 15th-century frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli.
A place born out of devotion
The cult of St Rose grew century after century, transforming the small oratory into an important sanctuary and monastery, entrusted to the Alcantarine Franciscan sisters, part of a congregation devoted to the care of the poor and to an evangelical mission.
