Description of the attraction
The Church of Santa Maria della Consolation is located on the very outskirts of Todi, Umbria. It was built from 1508 to 1607 on the site where images of the Virgin Mary with the Child and St. Catherine of Alexandria were found. According to legend, one worker named Iole di Cecco, who was blind in one eye, was clearing the doors of the ancient temples of Santa Maria and San Giorgio from thickets of blackberries when he saw the face of the Most Holy Theotokos, he cleaned it with his handkerchief. And later, having wiped his face with the same handkerchief, he miraculously regained his sight.
The initiator of the construction of Santa Maria della Consolation was Cardinal Antonio del Monte - in his hometown of Montepulciano there is the Church of San Biagio, which has much in common with the Church of Todi.
Today, the Church of Santa Maria della Consolation is considered one of the most amazing examples of Renaissance art in Umbria. It has a Greek cross in plan with five domes - one central and four others above each apse. They say that the great Bramante himself worked on the creation of the church project. According to another version, it is a masterpiece of Cola di Caprarola or Antonio da Sangallo Jr. It is only known for certain that it was Sangallo Jr. who gave the temple a height of 70 meters such a majestic and grandiose appearance. At the top are the figures of four eagles - the symbols of Todi.
The interior of the church is characterized by simplicity and an abundance of light, characteristic of buildings of the Renaissance. There are 56 windows in the building in total! Here you can see a wooden statue of Pope Martin I, a native of Todi, giant statues of the twelve apostles, and in the northern apse next to the Baroque altar - a sculpture of the Virgin Mary and Child, which is also credited with miraculous properties.
