In Rome, there are hundreds of museums to visit, with countless masterpieces to admire. Yet often overlooked is the art that stares passersby right in the face: Rome’s madonnelle. 

Located just above eye level on many intersections throughout the city, madonnelle are Marian shrines that directly translate to “little Madonnas.” There are hundreds on Rome’s streets, installed with the intention for Our Lady to watch and protect the Eternal City’s inhabitants. 

The Catholic devotion began just over 500 years ago, with the first known Marian street shrine installed in 1523. This madonnella, named Imago Pontis after its location, is still visible today in the Ponte neighborhood of Rome. At their peak, there were an estimated 3,000 madonnelle scattered throughout Rome. Approximately half of these survive today.

The madonnelle were especially popular in the 17th through 19th centuries, coinciding with the end of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. During this period, the faith was scrutinized for its devotion to images and the Virgin Mary. In response, the Church doubled down on its art, commissioning some of history’s most well-known religious iconography. Most of these masterpieces were housed inside Rome’s churches, but many anonymous artists channeled their gifts into creating madonnelle. 

Originally, madonnelle were illuminated by small oil lamps that served as much of the lighting for the city streets. Romans would keep these oil lamps burning as a sign of devotion to Our Lady; this devotion has continued through the practice of the local faithful lighting candles or tending to flowers near the shrines.

 

 

Time-Honored Tradition

While the oldest madonnella is only 500 years old, the practice of erecting public devotional shrines dates back to antiquity. Since the founding of the city, Romans have built shrines to the lares, ancient Roman guardian deities.

Though their documented history is fragmented, scholars argue that the lares were especially important for Rome’s common people. These deities were believed to be the positive spirits of the departed, revered as observers and protectors. Shrines called lararia were built in houses for personal devotion and protection against evil. Some of these can still be found in Pompeii, where they have been preserved. 

As the lares became a ubiquitous devotion in Rome, shrines called lares compitales were installed in the streets. They were placed at crossroads where both foot traffic and chariot traffic caused Romans to slow down; there, the lares compitales received the most visibility.

As time went on — and street traffic worsened — the compitale shrines served another purpose: to protect travelers at these intersections. Evidently, Roman traffic hasn’t changed much since antiquity!

As Christianity circulated in Rome, the lares compitales were slowly phased out. Mary replaced the pagan deities as the protector of Rome’s streets, especially its intersections. By the end of the 19th century, only Our Lady was entrusted to watch over the city, a position that she still holds today.

 

Miracles and Devotions

Numerous miracles have been attributed to the madonnelle over the past 500 years. Most of these concern the Madonna’s eyes in these shrine images, which have been cited as crying, bleeding or shifting from side to side.

On July 9, 1796, with Napoleon’s forces sweeping across Italy, dozens reported that the eyes of the madonnelle followed them as they passed by. Five of these were confirmed to be miraculous by the Church, and a chapel was built around one of these miraculous madonnelle, Madonna dell’Archetto. This is still the smallest church in Rome today, located just a few blocks from the Trevi Fountain.

 

 

Some madonnelle are devoted to certain Marian apparitions, such as the one pictured above, devoted to La Beata Virgine del Carmine, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Others function as personal devotionals, like the shrine below, dedicated to Mater Itineris, or Mother of the Way.

This madonnella is regularly visited by the neighborhood’s faithful, who adorn it with flowers, candles and other devotional items. Plaques thank Mary for the birth of their children, some of which read “P.G.R,” or Per Grazia Ricevuta, meaning “For Grace Received.”

 

 

Modern Images

Following World War II, the madonnelle had a revival in Rome. Pope Pius XII devoted the city to Our Lady of Divine Love on June 4, 1944, asking her to protect Rome during bombing raids. That same day, the U.S. Fifth Army entered the city, liberating Rome from Nazi German occupation. This made Rome the first liberated Axis capital and also ensured the freedom of the papacy and Vatican City.

In thanksgiving for Our Lady’s miraculous intercession, new madonnelle devoted to Mary’s title related to Divine Love were installed throughout the city. Many of these, such as the one pictured below, feature the same phrase: “Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Love, make us saints.” A decade later, Pope Pius XII declared 1954 to be the Church’s first Marian year, and more shrines were constructed to commemorate this year of Our Lady.

Today, madonnelle can be found along every type of Roman wall: from graffitied alleyways to Roman palaces and outdoor restaurants. Our Lady is a ubiquitous presence in the Eternal City. Tourists and locals alike must only look up to see the art that serves as a reminder of the city’s rich history.

 

At each crossroads — whether metaphorical or, in the case of Rome, physical — Mary is always looking down upon us; she is our guidance, our protection and our deliverance.