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The Sanctuary of St. Mary of the Rotunda was built on a pretty nymphaeum which sets an interesting architectural precedent for the famous Pantheon of Rome.
The church was consecrated in 1060 although there is testimony to its use since the 9th century. The building was modified in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and finally brought back to its original Roman splendour in 1938.
Inside, the central altar holds an ancient icon of the Virgin with Child painted in the 15th century in the Byzantine style, while the ceilings to the right of the altar present the remains of frescoes, the most complete of which is a 14th century Story of the True Cross. The right hand altar holds a 13th century fresco of St. Anne with Saints John and Ambrose which is attributed to Cavallini.
A large part of the archeological relics, kept in the Sacresty and the Romanesque bell tower, date to the Severian era, as do the precious architectural fragments that form the base for the altars.

Galleria fotografica