A small church that houses the first image of the Castle of Santa Severa
The church of Santa Maria Assunta is the only currently consecrated church present within the village of the Castle of Santa Severa. The procession that takes place on June 5th in honor of the Saint starts from the church located in Santa Severa Nord and sees this small church as the point of arrival of the faithful
In 1594 the preceptor of the Pio Istituto di Santo Spirito Agostino Fivizzani, to accommodate the growing population of the village, began work on the construction of a new church that was added to that of Santa Severa and Santa Lucia, today used as a baptistery. After Fivizzani's death, the building was completed by his successor Monsignor Sallustio Tarugi.
The simple facade of the church is framed by two pilasters and a tympanum with a small rose window. The coat of arms of Fivizzani is placed on the portal.
The interior of the church consists of a single nave with a moden floor. The altar is decorated with two beautiful columns of Greek marble from Caristo, a variety of cipollino marble that probably come from an ancient Roman building.
The fresco on the altar depicts the Madonna assumed into heaven with the Child; God the Father, depicted in the vault, is ready to welcome her; flanking the Madonna, on the right, is Santa Marinella with the book and, on the left, Santa Severa, recognizable by the leaded scourge she holds in her hand, the instrument of her martyrdom: a whip of lead-tipped cords. Observe below between the two saints the wide curve of the coastline overlooking the two castles of Santa Severa and Santa Marinella. This representation is the first depiction of the Castle, which appears exactly as we see it today.
On the inside of the wooden compass at the entrance to the church, you can see the inscription commemorating the visit of Pope Pius IX.
