Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore
| Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore (Italian) | |
|---|---|
|
The inside of the new church | |
| Basic information | |
| Location |
Via Ardeatina 1221 - 00134 Roma (06 71 35 51 21) |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°46′43.5″N 12°32′37.9″E / 41.778750°N 12.543861°ECoordinates: 41°46′43.5″N 12°32′37.9″E / 41.778750°N 12.543861°E |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Parish church, shrine, one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome |
| Website |
www |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore or the shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary that consists of two churches: an old church built in 1745 and a new church added to the sanctuary in 1999. The church was included by Pope John Paul II in the pilgrimage of Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome during the Holy Year 2000.
History
One of the tower of a gatehouse, known as the Castel di Leva, was decorated with a medieval fresco, a votive image of the Madonna and Child.[1] In 1740, a pilgrim was attacked by angry dogs, adjacent to the gatehouse, and was reported to have been saved through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As a result of the number of pilgrims drawn to this site, a chapel was built, and the image of the Madonna was transferred to it.
During World War II, Pope Pius XII and many Romans visited the shrine to pray for the Holy Mother's intercession that the city be spared. The shrine presently on the site is new, and was inaugurated by Pope John Paul II on July 4, 1999. Pope John Paul II decided to include the shrine in the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the corresponding pilgrim itinerary for the Holy Year 2000, replacing San Sebastiano fuori le Mura.
Exterior
Behind the chapel is a staircase that leads down to the gate tower where the miracle occurred in 1740.
Interior
The miraculous painting is enshrined above the altar. The mosaics in the apse are modern, and shows Christ in the centre, and the miracle on the left.
In the crypt one will find the tomb of the married couple Bl. Luigi (Aloysius) Beltrame Quattrocchi and Bl. Maria Corsini Beltrame Quattrocchi. He died in 1951, and she in 1965. After their deaths, a beatification process was started. They were beatified on 21 October 2001 by Pope John Paul II, and this was the first time that a married couple had been beatified together. Their relics were moved here on 28 October 2001. The feast of Bl. Luigi and Maria Corsini Beltrame Quattrocchi is now (since 2001) celebrated on 25 November, their wedding day.
References
- ↑ Official website (2011). "History of the sanctuary of our Lady of Divine Love". santuariodivinoamore.it. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
Further reading
- Pietra, Pierluigi (1958). La Madonna del Divino Amore: il suo santuario, la sua opera (in Italian). Retrieved 3 April 2013.
- Garella, Luciano (2007). Il Divino Amore a Roma: storia della costruzione (in Italian). Gangemi. ISBN 978-88-492-1238-9. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
External links
Media related to Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons- The Vatican: spirit and art of Christian Rome, a book from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on the Santuario