Built as the result of particular historical events, the Church of Madonna delle Grazie today is a small sanctuary right on the way to Montottone.
History has always been an extremely fascinating subject of study, that can help us open up important windows to better observe and understand the places we visit, the streets we travel every day, or the news we learn from sources of information. Across Italy, there are countless places and sites that have made history, telling us about people, actions and events to remember; but what if there were also places made by history?
An example of this is the Church of Madonna delle Grazie, a place of religious worship located right on the way to Montottone, in the province of Fermo. A church, now a small sanctuary, that has existed for over five centuries due to the fulfillment of some particular historical events, specifically related to the feudal power fights that involved the ancient castle of Mons Actonis and the capital of Marca Fermana.
A very evocative place, deeply enriched over time from both a spiritual and artistic point of view, and which today preserves intact the memory of the past and its roots. A past enabling us to discover a page in the history of this town in Le Marche, which has become famous for its wonderful handmade ceramics.
On the way to Montottone: where is the Church of Madonna delle Grazie
Although the historic centre of Montottone, of medieval origin but constantly evolving between the renaissance and the modern age, is one of the most picturesque and best preserved ones in the entire province of Fermo, it is really surprising to think that such a peculiar place as the Church of Madonna delle Grazie is not located within the ancient walls of the fortified hamlet.
In fact, it was built almost one kilometer away from the towers of the ancient Porta Marina, the original entrance to the castle, along the main road - indeed, the only one - that still today allows to reach the town coming from the hills on the east side, towards Fermo. It is no coincidence that this road (officially SP61) bears the name of Viale Porta Marina.
But the interesting geographical location of the Church of Madonna delle Grazie, today integrated into the small contemporary town of Montottone, was not accidental at all; indeed, the choice of the exact place for its construction was calculated in order to make today's sanctuary a must-see stop for all travelers wishing to visit the village. And this is precisely the moment that history comes into play!
History of the Church of Madonna delle Grazie in Montottone
The Church of Madonna delle Grazie is the first true testimony to encounter on the road that tell travelers about the important past of the fiefdom of Mons Actonis. But this pretty little church, with its facade and its entrance portico in baroque artistic style, and with its solemn aura, seems almost out of place in that context of alleys and homes feeling too much contemporary. Visiting Montottone for the first time, therefore, it is absolutely natural to wonder about its history, and why it is located there.
The reconstruction of historical sources reveals that, in fact, this very particular place of fine harmony and architectural beauty was the result of a sequence of facts that occurred in the often seesawing and aggressive scenario of the political feuds between Montottone and Fermo.
It all began in 1446, with the overthrow of the Sforza’s dominion in the region, and with the consequent need for the castles within Marca Fermana to reorganize their borders and their lands. The temporary political instability led to an agreement in 1448, with the approval of the papal institutions, to divide the control of Montottone directly between the Municipality of Fermo and the authority of its Bishop.
This pact, anyway, had the only effect of further inflaming the ideological fights among the population - on the one hand those who wanted the independence of the castle of Montottone, on the other those who preferred to remain under the protective wing of Fermo, in addition to the internal conflicts in the Marca’s capital between the supporters of the political power of the Municipality and those who instead supported the Bishop’s authority - resulting in a whole decade of bloody battles between the opposing parties. Everything was resolved only in 1458, after the death of the Bishop in office, Cardinal Domenico Capranica (the same year), with the definitive victory of the city of Fermo after a siege of Mons Actonis that lasted for three years.
The following year, a new agreement was signed, providing for the total transfer of the previous dominion of the Bishopric over Montottone to the Municipality of Fermo, which thus became the only owner of the castle and its territories, in exchange for large estates and rural residences in the hinterland (e.g. Grottazzolina and Monteverde). The definitive passage under the control of the capital of Marca Fermana was also well accepted by the people of Montottone, who officially got citizenship, the recognition of civil rights and above all the concession of pardon for the crimes committed by those who fought against Fermo.
As per the tradition of that age, the historical importance of this event was sealed with the construction of a votive chapel entirely financed by the new citizens, in the unusual architectural plan of a Greek cross, which was completed at the beginning of 1500’s and symbolically dedicated to Madonna delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace). The choice of its location was decidedly important, as the victors requested to build the church in a place serving as an essential point of passage to and from Montottone: a true warning for the entire local population, in memory of the agreement with Fermo, yet a symbol of newfound peace and protection.
In the following centuries the Church of Madonna delle Grazie has continually expanded, becoming an important place for the entire religious community until it became a small sanctuary that welcomed, in addition to the cult of the Virgin Mary, also the devotees of Saints Rocco, Fabiano and Sebastiano.
Madonna delle Grazie through art and faith: the fresco by Fra Marino Angeli
Votive niche made of artistic ceramic picturing Madonna delle Grazie by Fra Marino Angeli
Like any sanctuary worthy of this name, even the small Church of Madonna delle Grazie over time has been able to combine the depth of faith with the purity of art, a beauty to appreciate beyond the borders of spirituality and one's own belief, focusing on the aesthetic quality that a masterpiece can convey to the places in which it is expressed.
And between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, what better work than a fresco? Visiting this place of worship, it is possible to admire on the main altar a beautiful example of the Virgin on the throne with Child and a Choir of Musician Angels, an extraordinary original fresco from the 1400’s attributed to the famous monk-artist Fra Marino Angeli, originally from nearby Santa Vittoria in Matenano.
According to experts, the work can be dated to 1459, the same year of the political and social agreement between Montottone and Fermo, at the peak of the friar's artistic activity, already known as the author of many masterpieces to discover in other locations within the province.
Angeli's art is clear when observing the complexity of the work, focusing in particular on some aspects that are already evident in his most famous works. An example of this is the representation of the Child on the Virgin's lap, as in the Triptych of Madonna delle Rose in Urbino; but also the drawing technique that gives sense of movement to Mary's sweet expression and to the veil that covers her head, as in Madonna degli Angeli in Santa Vittoria in Matenano; and the lively combination of colors already experimented in the Adoration of Magi in Patrignone.
The fresco develops in the proportions of a life-size person, giving great atmosphere from the viewer's side. However, the current work is indeed the result of a careful restoration carried out in 1885, the occasion on which was produced also a perfect copy on wood to be carried in procession. The interventions carried out by the restorer were many, justified by the need to integrate the picture in many sections damaged over the centuries compared to the original work, of which however the Choir of Musician Angels and the head of the Virgin Mary have been preserved intact. The Child, instead, was completely repainted in the restoration phase, as was the light blue background, the throne on which Holy Mary sits and the entire lower portion of the painting.
Nevertheless, the beautiful fresco by Fra Marino Angeli, considering the estimate of its potential exact dating, today still tells us in a vivid way how much history, with its events, has shaped and consolidated the cult of Madonna delle Grazie in the province of Fermo. A cult that has found its ideal place right here, in the particular setting of this small sanctuary on the way to Montottone.
Palio delle Grazie, a folkloric meeting point between history and faith
The relevance of the figure of Madonna delle Grazie in the territory of Montottone, here celebrated every year in mid-June, is renewed with great enthusiasm also in the joyful local folklore with the Palio delle Grazie, a real tournament in medieval-renaissance style that enlivens the ways of the town inside and outside the ancient castle walls.
The first part of the Palio consists of a picturesque parade in the heart of the historic centre of Montottone, where the competing representatives and the delegations of the seven districts of the municipality - Eschito (horse), Forche di Tenna (bull), Monte Roso (squirrel), Pisciarello (fox), San Pietro Martire (crab), San Lorenzo (dragon), Trescio (snake) - march in solemnity through these ancient alleys showing off colorful historical clothes and their own flags, to the rhythm of the drums fanfare.
But the real Palio delle Grazie lights up in the evening, with an electrifying competition until the last minute to conquer the Town’s Banner and earn the victory for their own district; an exceptional opportunity to enjoy the spirit and all the historical beauty of Montottone, metaphorically reviving significant events, related to Holy Mary, which marked its rich past.
