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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.

To the Italian visitors of my web site

In and About Viterbo S. Maria della Querce

The sanctuary of S. Maria della Querce is named after a miraculous image which a peasant had affixed to the trunk of an oak (quercia and querce in old Italian). It is located a few miles off Porta Fiorentina and a straight road leads to the sanctuary. Midway between Viterbo and the sanctuary Pope Paulus III (1534-49) built a fountain for the pilgrims. In the XVIIIth century the most important families of Viterbo built their villas along this road: the image here below shows the fountain and a detail of a palace which once belonged to the Pamphili, the family of Pope Innocentius X (1644-55).

Fountain with the coat of arms of Paulus III and detail of a palace with the Pamphily's coat of arms
Fountain (coat of arms of Pope Paulus III) and detail of a palace (Pamphili's coat of arms)

The sanctuary was built between 1470 and 1525, mainly at the initiative of Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84) and his nephew Pope Julius II (1503-13). Their surname was Della Rovere, which means "of the oak" as rovere is another name for querce and their coat of arms shows an oak with twined branches. So the large frieze on the top of the church shows an oak (between two lions representing Viterbo), which is both a reference to the name of the sanctuary and to the Della Rovere popes (in the background of this page you can see a relief showing an oak).

Madonna della Querce
Madonna della Querce

S. Maria della Querce is a fine Renaissance church with a very original façade. Four columns add a solemn character to it. The imposing bell tower is detached from the church as in the Cathedrals of Florence and Pisa. The artists involved in the design of the sanctuary came from Central and Northern Italy (Perugia, Fiorenzuola, Milan).

Detail with the lions of Viterbo and the oak of the pope
Detail showing the symbols of Viterbo and of the pope

The central portal is a work by a local artist, while the terracotta is by Andrea della Robbia.

Main portal
Main entrance

The left portal has a terracotta showing St Dominic and in line with the traditional iconography of the saints he is portrayed with the symbols of his martyrdom. The adjoining monastery has a small balcony, which recalls the Papal Loggia of Viterbo.

S. Domenico and a little gothic balcony
S. Domenico and a little Gothic balcony

The gilded ceiling was designed by Antonio da Sangallo. The coat of arms of Pope Paulus III was added at a later moment.

Ceiling
Ceiling

The main cloister shows a mixed architecture although it was built in a relatively short period of time. It was started in 1487 and the lower floor shows the influence of gothic architecture, while it was completed a few years later by a full Renaissance upper floor.

Main cloister
Main cloister


In and about Viterbo - other pages:
Viterbo
Bagnaia
Bagnoregio
Bomarzo
Orte and Vasanello
S. Martino al Cimino
Tuscania
Vitorchiano

Pages on towns of Latium other than Rome In the Duchy of Castro: Farnese, Ischia di Castro, Valentano, Gradoli, Capodimonte, Marta In Maremma: Corneto (Tarquinia), Montalto, Canino A Pilgrim's Way: Via Francigena: Acquapendente, Bolsena, Montefiascone In and about Viterbo: Viterbo, Bagnoregio, S. Martino al Cimino, Tuscania, Bomarzo, S. Maria della Querce, Bagnaia, Orte, Vasanello, Vitorchiano From Civitavecchia to Civita Castellana: Civitavecchia, Tolfa, Allumiere, Oriolo Romano, Capranica, Sutri, Bassano, Monterosi, Nepi, Castel d'Elia, Civita Castellana From Bracciano to Viterbo: Manziana, Canale Monterano, Vejano, Barbarano, Blera, Vetralla Around Monte Cimino: Ronciglione, Caprarola, Carbognano, Fabrica, Corchiano, Vignanello, Vallerano, Soriano The Bracciano Lake: Bracciano, Trevignano, Anguillara At the foot of Monte Soratte: S. Oreste, Rignano, Faleria Land of the Romans' wives: Montopoli, Poggio Mirteto, Casperia, Cantalupo, Roccantica Sentinels on the Highway: Fiano Romano, Civitella S. Paolo, Nazzano, Torrita Tiberina, Filacciano, Ponzano Along Via Aurelia: Palidoro, Palo, S. Severa and S. Marinella A Walk to Malborghetto: Prima Porta, Malborghetto Branching off Via Cassia: S. Maria di Galeria, Formello, Isola Farnese To Nomentum and beyond: Mentana, Monterotondo, Palombara A Walk to Ponte di Nona: ancient monuments along Via Prenestina Via Appia Antica A short and delicious digression: Tivoli, Montecompatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Frascati, Grottaferrata, Marino, Castelgandolfo, Albano, Ariccia, Genzano, Velletri, Nemi, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora, Civita Lavinia (Lanuvio), Porto, Ostia Where the painters found their models: Anticoli Corrado, Castelmadama, Vicovaro, Arsoli Subiaco The Roman Campagna: Palestrina, Genazzano, Paliano, Anagni The Ernici Mountains: Ferentino, Alatri The Volsci Mountains: Valmontone, Colonna, Segni, Norma, Cori On the Latin Shores: Anzio, Nettuno, Torre Astura On the edge of the marsh: Sermoneta, Sezze, Priverno Circe's Cape: S. Felice, Terracina Veroli Branching off Via Flaminia: Riano, Castelnuovo di Porto, Morlupo, Leprignano (Capena)

Latium was enlarged in the 1920s with territories from the neighbouring regions: the map on the left shows the current borders of Latium; the map on the right has links to pages covering towns of historical Latium: in order to see them you must hover and click on the dots.