MADONNELLE - Volume 1

For centuries, shrines and sacred images have watched over us from above as we walk or drive through the streets of the Eternal City. This book series does the opposite: it invites us to stop and carefully observe these paintings, mosaics, and sculptures, which possess artistic value and sometimes have a story to tell. Whether seen as minor art, devotional symbols, architectural decorations, or urban furnishings, these shrines and sacred images are part of a historical, artistic, and religious heritage that must be preserved from neglect and physical destruction. With this in mind, a thorough research was conducted—both bibliographically and through on-site surveys in the streets of Rome—to create an updated census, or catalog, for the third millennium, following the famous surveys by Alessandro Rufini (1853) and Publio Parsi (1939). This new census is comprehensive and accessible, distinguished by a wealth of exclusive, highly detailed color photographs. The first volume focuses on Rione I – Monti. A rediscovery of Rome’s shrines and sacred images, a so-called minor popular art of incredible charm, captured through photography that reveals details never noticed before.