The Cathedral of Monterotondo, the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene, is one of the elements that, alongside Piazza del Popolo opposite and the straight road of Via Cavour, give structure to the neighbourhood built in the 17th Century by the Barberini Family, lords of the fief.
The facade and bell tower with spire are Baroque in style. The interior, like that of a basilica, has a single Latin-cross nave and side chapels (3 per side) joined by round-arched passages created by the dividing walls:

• The first chapel on the right houses a marble Pietà by an unknown artist;
• The other side chapels hold tombstones, on the floors and walls, as well as smaller altars and oil paintings.

The church organ sits above the 3 main entrances on the wall behind the facade.
The high altar was built from a white Roman marble strigillated sarcophagus, from an ancient site in the surrounding countryside; behind the altar there is a wooden chancel. The sarcophagus holds the body of St. Sixtus, donated by Urban VIII. It was transferred there on 23rd October 1641.
Under the altar of the right transept, a white marble urn holds the remains of St. Placidus, St. Emile and St. Dominic. These were donated to Don Emilio Lami of Monterotondo by Pope Benedict XIII and the heirs of the Collegiate church. The transfer took place on 15th October 1747.
There are some doubts regarding the author of the Cathedral project and accounts vary: a long tradition, supported Baglione, claims that Castelli was the only architect and designer. Francesco Contini’s presence over a number of weeks during the most intense period of work, however, suggests that credit belongs to the latter.
The Cathedral of Monterotondo was restored in the Baroque period by the family of the Marquis Del Grillo, as demonstrated by the cricket-shaped ornaments on the pillars dividing the chapels: among the contributions of the restoration, the left transept houses a 15th-century wooden statue of Our Lady of Purity. This came from the old church and is by an unknown artist. Among the works housed in the second chapel, you can admire a painting of St. Luke, St. Michael, St, Philip and St. James attributed to Carlo Maratta. There is also a beautiful, ample, frescoed ceiling depicting the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven by Domenica Pistrini. This fresco is well-preserved and strongly expressive. All the stucco-work was done on site by artisans from Monterotondo.
On the outside wall, in Via San Pio da Pietrelcina, there is a bronze statue of St. Pius of Pietrelcina.
The Porta Canonica, an ancient gateway to the historic city, used to be located on this street.

Galleria fotografica