The main church of Rocca San Casciano
VIA FRATELLI CAIROLI N. 9
PARROCCHIA DI ROCCA SAN CASCIANO
TEL/FAX: +39 0543.960203
The building is open to the public every day from Monday to Sunday.
From Piazza Garibaldi looking to the left you can see the Church of Santa Maria delle Lacrime or the main Church of Rocca San Casciano located in Via Fratelli Cairoli.
It was built between 1776 and 1784 by the will of the parish priest of the time, Ambrogio Tassinari, who decided to replace the ancient church – which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1661 – with a new building located in the center of the country. The works were finished thanks to the intervention of the masons and stonemasons arrived from Florence by the will of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Pietro Lepoldo.
The structure has a very sober facade, but it is inside that you can admire its
beauties; the latter are placed in the 4 side altars to which must be added the high altar located at the bottom of the building.
Entering from the right door you can immediately notice an ancient marble font,
presumably dating back to the second half of the ‘600, with engraved the coat of arms of the Assirelli family one of the most important families in the country.
The first altar on the right is dedicated to the Madonna of Lourdes in memory of the miraculous “La Beppa ad Milesme”; while in the second altar there is a ceramic plaque depicting the Madonna delle Lacrime con Bambino of the sixteenth century.
The image is considered miraculous following the weeping occurred on 17 January 1523 when
the image was still in the ancient chapel dedicated to Mary. That cry, which lasted five hours, was a harbinger of grave misfortunes including the earthquake of 1661. Earthquake that left the image of the Madonna unharmed on a wall remained intact among the rubble.
The Madonna was placed in the Church on 26 October 1784 and was placed in the marble altar where it is today in 1950.
Entering from the left, instead, you will first meet the altar dedicated to Saint Joseph and continuing the altar dedicated to the Crucifix, an ancient wooden image from the medieval church, where it remained unscathed in the earthquake of 1661 and every year on March 22 is carried in procession through the streets of the country on the feast of the vote.
Above the high altar there is a painting made by the painter Margotti in 1919 that depicts San Cassiano, patron saint of the country to which the church is dedicated, which holds a castle with three towers (the primitive castle of Rocca) and in the background you can recognize the typical hilly landscape Rocchigiano.
Before leaving, however, you must stop next to the right door (left if you enter) to
admire a splendid Baptismal Font in marble from 1450 coming from the ancient Pieve.
Credits: Author Avv. Elisa Rabiti
