Chiesa della Maddalena

The first documentation of the existence of a hospice dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene dates back to 1327. The construction was ordered by the canons of St. Peter’s in Rome who had welcomed the proposal of the Council of Ephesus in 325 AD committing the Church in charitable institutions. They, therefore, instituted a “hospitale” for pilgrims and the poor, in the “plain of Acquasanta”, along the “Via Salaria Roman”, not far from the thermal waters. Up to 1653, the year of departure of the Conventual Friars, the hospital and the Church were prepared for their work thanks to the charitable deeds of many families. In fact, already in 1330 it was mandatory for all notaries Ascoli to invite people who rogavano a will to favor with some legacy hospital; This underlines the unique importance that this institution had to take over other religious and civil institutions that are not worth the same measure. In 1338, therefore, the Canons of St. Peter sent to monaco service, Gerardo between the bubble for the erection of a church next to the hospice, while in 1381 the Land Registry Ascoli reported ownership of some plots of land also reported ” all’hospitalis St. Marie Magdalene “, the result of the generosity of benefactors. As for the goods inside the church, 1506 is the first written document related to a painting “a picture of St. Marie Magdalene”: were the Sindico church and Massari Acquasanta commissioned it to a painter named in the document ; should not however be the first painting ever, because of other, certainly the front (where the two frescoes on the south wall of the church), are not claims. There is no record of committing even the large painting, dating from the period of maturity of Cola dell’Amatrice (1519-33), depicting the Virgin and Child Enthroned, with around patron saints against the plague, St. Sebastian and S . Rocco, and the patron saints of the two churches of Acquasanta, St. John and St. Mary Magdalene; But it can guess that the table has been performed by Cola and donated to Acquasantani to reward them for their hospitality to the amatriciana, in 1529. The same is true perhaps for the precious tabernacle. During the plague of 1526, the Maddalena was enriched, outside, on the south side of the chapel dedicated to St. Rocco, with a covered floor made “schiazze” travertine. Around 1540 the complex of St. Mary Magdalene appeared subject to the church of St. Mary of Charity of Ascoli (called the Broom) and, together, to the Canons of St. Peter. The lack of interest shown by these institutions for the events of Acquasanta at that time, led the members of a Brotherhood (Fraternales), perhaps named after the Crucifix, do Maddalena their headquarters and to elect, with the authority granted to them by all ” the men and for Universitas villas Acquesancte “, the prior of the institution. It was Donno Philip James Bartolomei of Ravenna, alias Kentish, who entrusted the task of leading the institution for the good of the church and the hospital, and “because the poor and needy will receive the charity that it is customary to offer them from time immemorial “. The year after the appointment of mallards in the Prior Complex Maddalena (1541), the Bishop Filos oaks visited the church and found it overrun with people coming from all sides, attracted by the piety that emanated from the crucifix and making the Brotherhood of the Maddalena center of an efficient social gathering. Around 1543 the complex of La Maddalena included, besides the church and hospice, a monastery, the home of the Prior communicating with the church by a staircase, a franchise of the ground very wide that reached “the veins on the Tronto Rio “and all the land around the church, as well as a piece of land near the bridge Garrafo. From now on, no need to resort to periodic elections the Acquasantani thought to turn the order of St. Francis to have a permanent service, and appointed as the first guardian (custodem) of the Convent of the Magdalene: between Constantine by Force. Thus began a period of 103 years of stability for the Church, with the spiritual and material benefit of the country resided in the convent guardian and a brother, who alternated frequently with other brothers in accordance with the rules of the Franciscan order. In 1653 he closed, with inventory and the departure of Conventual, a chapter of religious and civil history very intense for the population of Acquasanta. The archival not say clearly what happened immediately after the start of the Conventual, nor how it is passed, starting in 1671, the appointment of an abbot for the church of the Madeleine. In 1659 he became chaplain of the Magdalene Fr Egidio Franceschini Acquasanta; during his tenure was in tune with the Brotherhood and the council that the gratified of “jobs for the decoration of the temple.” With his interest Don Egidio did increase the assets of the Magdalene with the district Campo Longo in Quintodecimo. In 1673 the Bishop Filippo Monti visited the complex and found, as a guide, Don Giuseppe Palombini which revealed the presence, the Magdalene, the Brotherhood. The report of the visit stated that the church had two doors, one looking towards the square (now Piazza Hill) and the other towards the Convent (palace Celani, from which it is clear that the current front door did not exist); The church also had the grandstand (apse), and the high altar were “the golden wooden tabernacle and all the wooden framework with images of the Virgin, St. John the Baptist, S: Sebastian, St. Rocco and St. Mary Magdalene …. “. In 1685 with the pastoral visit of the Bishop Fadulfi he asked the Brothers to open a window in the altar of St. James and the S. Antonio for more light in the nave and commanded to set the clear glass on the round window apse. When the new Abbot Pietro Carboni became owner of La Maddalena for papal appointment (1711) he was ordered to close the window of the presbytery, at the foot of the church and to raise the roof of the sacristy to allow access to the bell. Between 1798 and 1815 during the first phase of the Napoleonic Magdalene became district militia transalpine for five months in which they were stationed in Acquasanta and, according to a report by Msgr. Angelo Mariotti Acquasanta, on that occasion the soldiers was seriously affected by the framework Cola dell’Amatrice. In the second phase of Napoleon the church remained closed for some time awaiting passage to the State: the estimate for Mons. Mr. Mariotti. Billa, Director of State Property, it allowed the reopening in a private capacity and the obligation not to require contributions for its maintenance and officiating. The fact earned him almost an order to phase out and looked the danger dell’incameramento goods Maddalena by the offices of Napoleon. The complex had however already gone through the darkest period of his life and the mark of abandonment and the marked decline for several decades: the bell was brought safely to St. John. In 1818 a first intervention on the church came under the Cure Antonini: the altar of St. Francis was dismantled awaiting restoration. The work, however, must be reduced to a minimum because of the fact, the aftermath of a church in a poor state went on for years: a report, the priest of Cagnano Francesco Bellini, speaks of neglect under the Maddalena where, at the fairs, are left to stop “… animals and genres so profane that has ruined the ancient portico of PP Minor Conventual” and there is no longer the dividing wall of immunity, which included the “paving which is the sign of the ground immune “. Around the mid-800, under the guidance of the priest Luigi Massi, three things happened important: they began in ’41 practices of the City for the purchase of the district Prato, from ’43 to ’46 was realized gutting and lowering about 6 meters of land, located south-west of La Maddalena for the passage of the new Salaria and in ’44 he worked shortening of a few meters on the south side of La Maddalena, with the closing of the side doors on the east and west, and the ‘opening of the front door with trim entire facade. During 1844 the façade was rebuilt and ran immediately to work less and to the floor, which were subsidized by the Mercy, the curate Santache and the City; for the big front door the council asked the Governor of Arquata can cut “a arbore walnut pertaining to this municipality, near the Bridge that is being built in Fosso Rio”. Shortly before his death, the young curate Santache Joachim, who was the soul of the work, drew together in Mons. Mariotti, the inscription on the new portal: Sun. Pervetustum templum hoc pharph (ense) b (e) Magdal (ENAE) sacrum inde Franciscalib (us) sideline (tum) ab Innocentio X sublato coenob (I) abbatial (i) decorat (tum) titu (the) tandem Pius VIII ecclesi (e) Queens (i) AGGREG (atum) et denuo rest (auratum) A (y ear) D (men) MDCCCXLV. In the course of this century, some properties of the complex of Magdalene were bought by private such as the former hospital and plots of land. Some restoration of the church were made in 1857 that served to make the room more welcoming to the Piedmontese troops during the siege of Acquasanta of January 1861, they served as military district with the church of Cona and other places in the country. The east facade was restored in 1869 and a new altar to the Virgin of Mercy, with stones in glazed marble, was executed in 1875.