The oldest church in Civitavecchia
Built in 1685, the church is linked to the birth and work of the Confratenity of Death and Prayer, established in the second half of the 16th century to provide a worthy burial to the bodies abandoned outside the city walls or lost at sea. The church is also remembered with the name of "Rotonda del Suffragio" and known by locals also with the name of Church of Death. A visit inside can be dedicated to observing the frescoes and rich baroque decorations.
The church's layout is typical of baroque churches. Completely restored in 1702 , it survived the bombings of the Second World War unharmed. The building has a central plan with a Greek cross and a large elliptical room that recalls the shape of a skull. At the end there are three chapels: the chapel of the High Altar, the chapel of the SS. Crucifix and the chapel of the Blessed Benedict and Anna. In 1698 the church was equipped with a bell tower in Baroque style, surmounted by a bulbous dome.
The peculiarity of the church is found inside, in fact once you enter you have to tun right towards the entrance door. As in many churches of the same era, in the upper part of the entrance is placed the organ. In this case the wooden protection is more prestigious than the musical instrument itself. In fact it is a fragment of one of the Christian galleys that won the battle of Lepanto in 1571. It is a real relic for the celebration of the victory of the Christian league against the fleets of the Ottoman Empire.
