The Church of the Holy Trinity
Full of sensational beauties
The most majestic and important church after the cathedral.
The most majestic and important church after the Cathedral.
The Church of the Holy Trinity is second only to the main cathedral in terms of majesty and importance.
On the site of the present church in ancient times there was a chapel dedicated to St Vincent, with a small hospice attached for use by the Augustinian friars of the hermitage of the Trinity.
In 1682 the first stone was laid in the demolished area for construction of the new church, dedicated to the Holy Virgin of the Trinity by Father Giovanni Longarelli. However, the work was only completed in 1709 under Father Vincenzo Nobili from Soriano. It seems, however, that the building was badly constructed, leading to concern over its stability, so on 20 October 1765 the foundations were laid for the present church. The work involved the entire church except the bell tower, which remained as before. In 1776 the new, larger and more beautiful church was opened to the public, and was consecrated on 16 November 1818. It is the result of magnificently executed work by the architect and builder Nicola Fagioli, a pupil of Vanvitelli, the well-known Italian painter and architect who designed the Royal Palace of Caserta.
The Church of the Holy Trinity is second only to the main cathedral in terms of majesty and importance.
On the site of the present church in ancient times there was a chapel dedicated to St Vincent, with a small hospice attached for use by the Augustinian friars of the hermitage of the Trinity.
In 1682 the first stone was laid in the demolished area for construction of the new church, dedicated to the Holy Virgin of the Trinity by Father Giovanni Longarelli. However, the work was only completed in 1709 under Father Vincenzo Nobili from Soriano. It seems, however, that the building was badly constructed, leading to concern over its stability, so on 20 October 1765 the foundations were laid for the present church. The work involved the entire church except the bell tower, which remained as before. In 1776 the new, larger and more beautiful church was opened to the public, and was consecrated on 16 November 1818. It is the result of magnificently executed work by the architect and builder Nicola Fagioli, a pupil of Vanvitelli, the well-known Italian painter and architect who designed the Royal Palace of Caserta.
Today the church still retains all its beauty, a masonry facade covered with plaster in two orders (Doric in the lower part and Ionic in the upper), two lateral volutes and a tympanum. A high wooden door finished in stone provides access to the church, in a Latin cross plan with a single large nave adorned with side chapels, stuccos, rich decorations and a large dome. The four handcrafted confessionals from the 1700s, carved and inlaid by Nicola Fagioli himself, are immediately noticeable.
Among the most beautiful and impressive features is undoubtedly the high altar. A very high vault adorned with stuccos and chandeliers leads the eye towards the back wall. Two Ionic columns rich in stuccos and carved festoons enclose the painting from the 1700s depicting the Holy Trinity. In the upper part of the painting, stuccos and angels in bas-relief surround the eye of the Creator. In the side niches there are stucco statues from the 1700s of St William of Aquitaine and St John of Facundo.
The altar, in colourful marble, takes up the style of the two side altars in which Stern Ludovico’s painting of the Vision of St Nicholas of Tolentino appears on the right, and the depiction of an Augustinian Saint’s monastic dressing on the left. On both sides you can see carved gilded wooden bust reliquaries of seventeenth-century origin.
In the presbytery we also find one of the most significant paintings, in which the image of the Madonna of the Holy Trinity is venerated. This pious depiction, painted on a board measuring 113 x 73 cm, was donated by Cardinal Egidio from Viterbo in 1516 to the Convent of the Holy Trinity in Soriano. It shows the Virgin seated on a throne, holding on her left knee the Holy Child, who is using his left hand to explain a page on which the letters of St Luke’s gospel are written: “vocabitur nomen eius jesus”. At the top, in the golden sky, two little angels free themselves from the frame. The opposite side of the altar has a beautiful choir and a grand organ, a work of art from the 1700s.
Among the most beautiful and impressive features is undoubtedly the high altar. A very high vault adorned with stuccos and chandeliers leads the eye towards the back wall. Two Ionic columns rich in stuccos and carved festoons enclose the painting from the 1700s depicting the Holy Trinity. In the upper part of the painting, stuccos and angels in bas-relief surround the eye of the Creator. In the side niches there are stucco statues from the 1700s of St William of Aquitaine and St John of Facundo.
The altar, in colourful marble, takes up the style of the two side altars in which Stern Ludovico’s painting of the Vision of St Nicholas of Tolentino appears on the right, and the depiction of an Augustinian Saint’s monastic dressing on the left. On both sides you can see carved gilded wooden bust reliquaries of seventeenth-century origin.
In the presbytery we also find one of the most significant paintings, in which the image of the Madonna of the Holy Trinity is venerated. This pious depiction, painted on a board measuring 113 x 73 cm, was donated by Cardinal Egidio from Viterbo in 1516 to the Convent of the Holy Trinity in Soriano. It shows the Virgin seated on a throne, holding on her left knee the Holy Child, who is using his left hand to explain a page on which the letters of St Luke’s gospel are written: “vocabitur nomen eius jesus”. At the top, in the golden sky, two little angels free themselves from the frame. The opposite side of the altar has a beautiful choir and a grand organ, a work of art from the 1700s.
Perspectives and colours that catch the eye
Just look up to the sky to immerse yourself in one of the church’s most sensational paintings. The marvellous fresco from the 1700s by the Polish painter Tadeusz Kuntze depicts the apotheosis of St Augustine. In the highest part, the Eternal Father is depicted surrounded by a beatitude of angels. At the centre, at the foot of the cross there appear two women dressed in white, one symbolising knowledge (shown with an open book in which the light of the Holy Spirit spreads) and the other faith (depicted holding up the chalice of the Eucharist). Lower down, St Augustine in bishop’s clothes is intent on condemning the three heretics Manete, Donato and Pelagio lying on some steps. A fresco in which the perfection of the figures and the perspective, seasoned with the harmonious and wise management of colour, catches and captivates the eye.
Spesa finanziata dalla Regione Lazio Determinazione n. G04816 del 09/05/2016 e s.m.i.
Avviso pubblico “Reti di Imprese tra Attività Economiche su Strada”
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