Santa Maddalena di Canossa

Santa Maddalena di Canossa: Built 1992-97

Architect: Giovanni Ambrosi de Magistris

At the same time that the "garage" church of Sant'Ilirio was being renovated, a new parish was formed about 1km north, Santa Maddalena di Canossa.

The interior seats about 600 people and it is a very successful architectural space for the community celebration of the Eucharist. (For a dozen years the priests have been able to keep the church free of clutter. I wish other modern churches could do that!)

From wherever one sits, there is a sense

of being close to the action of the liturgy.

The soaring concrete, wood and steel construction

helps the worshipper "lift up their hearts."

The external design of the church is an

interesting addition to the neighborhood.

The rectory and parish activity rooms

are connected to the church structure.

The church is in a residential neighborhood

and shares a parking lot with a multiplex cinema.

A Church in a Garage

In 1977 the parish of Sant' Illario di Poitiers began in a parking garage in the zone of Ottavia, about 20 km from the city center, just inside the GRA or "ring road." The area started as a rural township after World War II, and construction has never stopped! Today the zone has over 20,000 people in 4 sq. km. The church was renovated in 1992 and today it is a "feast for the eyes."

This is the view of the neighborhood

looking southwest from where I parked the car.

This is the view looking northeast, including McDonald's.

When approaching the church I was first greeted by a large banner welcoming kids to the parish recreational facilities, the "oratorio."

This is the entrance ramp to the "garage" church, under an apartment building that houses the parish center on the first floor.

When entering the church you come upon a cross-shaped, step down baptismal pool.

Beyond the pool is a large square altar, and every surface, top and sides, is covered with painted images.

At the far end is the presider's chair.

An area for daily liturgies and eucharistic reservation

is to the right of the baptismal pool when you enter.

The only windows in the space are along the entrance ramp, and together with the doors, they have images made of etched and colored glass.

It is difficult to comprehend all of the images and symbolism in one visit. Different artists have worked to cover every inch of space in this "garage."

20th Century Church Birdwalking II

Chiesa di Nuestra Signora di Vilme
This is the parish church connected with "The Work of the Church," a 50-year old movement started by Mother Trinidad, originally from Dos Hermanas, near Seville, Spain. It was in the town of Dos Hermanas that devotion to Mary with the title of Our Lady of Valme originated. It is said that King Fernando III carried her statue into battle in 1248 and was successful in taking Seville back from the Moors.



The church is in a dense residential neighborhood of apartment buildings on the slope of the Portuense hill as it goes down toward the Tiber River.
Chiesa di Nuestra Signora di Vilme was built between 1992-1996 and designed by Ferdinando Sciamanna and Cinzia Spina. The liturgical space is a square under a massive coffered concrete ceiling with two expansive walls of glass for the absidal wall and the entrance of the church.
Spanish (Baroque) influence can be seen in the chandeliers as well as in details of the shrine behind the altar that contains a painted image of Our Lady of Vilme.

The Eucharistic Chapel (with Perpetual Adoration) is to the left of the sanctuary, behind a glass wall covered with iron gates in a style that matches the chandeliers.

Next door "The Work of the Church" has a villa that welcomes Bishops visiting the Vatican for their Ad Limina visits. These visits are required by Canon Law. It is the obligation of bishops to send a report on the status of their dioceses to the Vatican every five years, visit the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul and "appear before the Roman pontiff."

20th Century Church Birdwalking

Chiesa di Santi Aquila e Priscilla

The first trip with my new book (GUIDA ALL'ARCHITETTURA SACRA. ROMA 1945-2005) to find a 20th Century Roman Church took me to Quartiere Portuense and the west bank of the Tiber River. Tucked among some industrial buildings I found the church dedicated to Saints Aquila and Priscilla. It was designed by Ignazio Breccia Fratadocchi and built between 1989 - 1992.

The entrance doors: outside (above) and inside (below)

The interior, which is a central plan, rather than a basilica plan, is dominated by a large suspended cross and some sort of historical image of the Virgin behind the altar. To the right, beyond the baptismal and through stained glass windows, is the Eucharistic Chapel.
The cross, hanging from an "industrial" ceiling, has a wrapped element near the bottom that probably alludes to the Resurrection.
The tabernacle makes a monumental statement in a space illuminated by light coming through polychromed stained glass windows designed by Costantino Ruggeri, a Franciscan priest.

Note: Aquila was a 1st century Jewish tentmaker and Priscilla was his wife. They were converted to Christianity and entertained the apostle Paul in Corinth and Ephesus. Their house in Rome was used as a Christian meeting place.

Sanctuario Madonna del Divino Amore

In the 13th century shepherds venerated a fresco of the Virgin Mary that was on a tower of a castle belonging to the Savello-Orsini family outside the walls of Rome. (The site is about 15 minutes by car from our apartment.)

The story goes that in 1740 a pilgrim, on his way to Rome, was attacked by a pack of wild dogs. He was near the tower and he saw the fresco and called out to the Virgin for help. Immediately the dogs calmed down and retreated into the surrounding countryside.

Within five years this "miraculous" fresco had been removed from the tower and placed in a small church built nearby and became this became the shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love.

Above: The exterior of the 18th century shrine.

Below: The interior of the shrine church with the fresco on display.

Starting in January of 1944, with Rome in danger because of World War II, the image of the Virgin was taken to different churches in the city. On June 4th the fresco's last stop was in the Church of Sant' Ignazio. Hundreds of Romans gathered to pray for the liberation of their city, and the people made a vow to the Virgin to renew their lives, build a new shrine, and perform charitable works in honor of Our Lady of Divine Love.

One week later, Pope Pius XII led a journey outside of Rome to the holy image to express gratitude for saving the city. Within ten years, orphans were being cared for in a convent next to he shrine church. Mission centers were started in many parts of Italy and others were opened around the world, the most recent (2000 )in Nicaragua. The new shrine was eventually built and dedicated by Pope John Paul II in 1999.

This view of the new shrine also shows

the original church on the hill above.

The new sanctuary was designed by the

Franciscan priest Constantino Ruggeri from Pavia.

Cardinal Ugo Poletti, Vicar General of Rome from 1973 to 1991, said:

"Brother Constantino does not build with cement but with light!"

On the opposite side of the building from the altar, there is a separate room with this monumental tabernacle and exposed Sacrament for Eucharistic adoration.
This is a view of the grass covered roof of the new sanctuary, which blends in with the hills of the Roman countryside. On the left you can also see the location of the original tower with a copy of the fresco.

I found it interesting that the original fresco has remained in the small 18th century church building. The new sanctuary has a contemporary representation of the fresco so it is not drawing attention to the paint and plaster of the original fresco, but instead brings one into a space for reflecting on Divine Love!