The Sanctuary Madonna of the Splendor is a

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

in Giulianova,

Province of Teramo The Province of Teramo ( it, provincia di Teramo; Abruzzese: ') is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of , a population of 313,029 (2012), and is subdivided into 47 comunes ( i ...

, central

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Next to the shrine stand a

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

, a miraculous spring water fountain, and a museum. The sanctuary is served by

Capuchin fathers The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

Structure

The church is built in the form of a

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

, and is decorated with large paintings made in 1954 by Alfonso Tentarelli according to the project of father Jean Lerario; there is a wooden statue of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

with Jesus blessing child of the fifteenth century (unknown author) called "''Madonna dello Splendore''". On August 15, 1914, a golden silver crown, made by the Migliori family, was placed on the head of the Virgin. Around 1950, the statue was surrounded by rays, symbol of divine light, and placed above a tree to remember the olive tree in which it appeared in 1557. In the sacristy there is a remarkable painting of the Virgin and Child in glory with the saints Peter, Paul, Dorothy and Francis, of the sixteenth century, by Paul Veronese. The miraculous water was collected in a fountainLa Fonte Miracolosa della Madonna dello Splendore
/ref> in the

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s of the convent, where a small temple was built with mosaics of the Old and

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

. The reception area is dominated by a large bronze statue of Christ with the inscription "''EGO SUM VIA VERITAS ET VITA''" (I am the way, the truth and the life).

History

During the second half of the 16th century, there was a small chapel in Giulianova used by a confraternity devoted to the Virgin of the Rosary. In 1559, on near Giulianova, the

Capuchins Capuchin can refer to: *Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from t ...

received a first donation from the Acquaviva family and built a church dedicated to st Michael the Archangel. The sanctuary was built on the site of an apparition of the Virgin on 22 April 1557. Between 1968 and 1971, the convent hosted a small seraphic seminary; restoration work was done between 1989 and 1992 around the "''Fountain of the Virgin''", and a votive temple was rebuilt. During the years 1990-2000 the up-side floors of the convent were renovated to accommodated the Splendor Art Museum, and the old place where the firewood was stored became the library of the convent. Along the Bertolino Street, a monumental bronze

Via Crucis The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The stations grew out of imitati ...

was erected by Ubaldo Ferretti. In 2001, the old organ was replaced by a new one, due to

organ builder Organ building is the profession of designing, building, restoring and maintaining pipe organs. The organ builder usually receives a commission to design an organ with a particular disposition of stops, manuals, and actions, creates a d ...

A. Girotta.

Gallery

Image: Santuario di Maria Santissima dello Splendore-Giulianova.jpg, Façade Image: Madonnasplendore.gif, Statue of

of Splendor Image: Giulianova santuarimadonnadellosplendore piazzale.jpg, Bronze statue of Jesus in the square's sanctuary Image: Giulianova santuarimadonnadellosplendore piscina.jpg, The miracoulous

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...

Image: Giulianova santuarimadonnadellosplendore via crucis 01.jpg, The 7th Station of the Cross Image: Giulianova santuarimadonnadellosplendore via crucis 02.jpg, The 13th Station of the Cross Image:Santuario di Maria Santissima dello Splendore-Giulianova-XIV Stazione via crucis.jpg, The 14th Station of the Cross

References

External links

Official Web Page
{{Authority control Roman Catholic churches completed in 1938 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Shrines to the Virgin Mary Catholic architecture Baroque architecture in Abruzzo Roman Catholic shrines