Chiesa della Stella (Church of the Star), Civitavecchia

Primarily Chiesa della Stella is known for the wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. The frescoes you see in the church were painted in 1996 by a local artist. The church is well known for its Good Friday procession, referred to as the ‘Ancient procession of the dead Christ,’ that’s when some of the unseen artifacts and relics of the church are displayed to the public. It’s quite an event. If you are in Civitavecchia on a Good Friday, head to Chiesa della Stella.

The small church of the Vergine delle Grazie , better known as the Church of the Star , is located in Piazza Leandra and is, together with the Church of the Oration and Death, among the oldest in Civitavecchia. The church is the seat of the Archconfraternity of the Gonfalone , founded by San Bonaventura in 1274. Tradition has it that San Bonaventura, before embarking for Lyon, passed to Civitavecchia where, adhering to the request of numerous faithful, he founded a confraternity which took the name of Company of the Banner. During the struggles and uprisings that took place in Rome in 1354, the Brotherhood managed to restore calm and put an end to the massacres, in the name of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Cross thus became the emblem, the flag and the banner of peace and justice. The brothers, eager to create their own church and oratory, requested the Church of the Star from the Ordinary of Civitavecchia Brancacci in 1688, which they enlarged, embellished and endowed with rich sacred furnishings and works of art at their expense. Among the various important works of art that you can admire inside the church, there is a precious wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and several paintings including "The Adoration of the Child Jesus " and " The Christ Between Two Saints". In the tabernacle above the altar, the statue of the Madonna delle Grazie is preserved , which for some years, every 8 September has been the protagonist of a solemn procession through the streets of the center and the coves of the historic port. Finally, on the side walls and on the vault there are frescoes by the local painter Ennio Galice (20th century).

It is located in Piazza Leandra and is perhaps one of the oldest churches in Civitavecchia. It is the headquarters of the Archconfraternity of the Gonfalone. The company of the Banner began in Civitavecchia in 1274. In fact, a constant tradition tells us that Saint Bonaventure, having to go to the General Council of Lyon in 1274, on behalf of the Pope, had to pass through the city. On this occasion he was ardently urged by many devotees to enroll them in the pious Union of the Recommended to the Most Holy Virgin, founded in Rome in 1263 by Bonaventure himself. The institution then took the name of the Compagnia del Gonfalone, since during the struggles, uprisings and turbulence that took place in Rome in 1354, the Recommended friars, rushing in, managed to put an end to the massacres and restore calm, with the name of the Virgin Mary and by demonstrating that the Holy Cross had to be the emblem, the flag and the banner of peace and all justice. The brothers, wishing to create their own church and oratory, requested and obtained in 1688, from the Ordinary of Civitavecchia Brancacci, the church of the Star, which, at their expense, they enlarged, embellished and endowed with rich sacred furnishings. Inside the church, besides precious furnishings, there is a notable wooden statue of the Virgin. ***PH***