The Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso, once known as Santa Maria delle Grazie, is a treasure chest preserving centuries of faith and art. Although the exact date of its original construction remains uncertain, the current building was rebuilt around 1450, replacing an earlier church of the same name that stood outside the city walls. Originally smaller, the church witnessed the growth of the village: at first in a suburban area, by the 18th century it found itself within the walls due to the town’s expansion. It was enlarged for the first time in 1585, as recorded by an inscription near the entrance, and then again in 1759, when its bell tower was also erected—topped with the Cross of Lorraine in homage to St. Louis IX, King of France. A final extension in 1956 saw the lengthening of the presbytery and the addition of the little chapel devoted to the Virgin Mary.
Upon entering, the single-nave church welcomes you in a harmonious space, but it is in the details that its long history is revealed. In a side chapel, the remains of a 1323 fresco depicting Santa Maria delle Grazie between Saints Jerome and Mary Magdalene are still visible. This work, attributed to the Benedictine monk Giacinto di Morro di Valle, is a valuable fragment of the decoration of the original church— a direct link to the earliest roots of Marian devotion in Ortezzano.
The high altar is decorated by the panel Madonna in trono col Bambino e Santi (Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saints— Jerome, Sebastian, Francis and possibly Augustine) painted by Vincenzo Pagani. Recognized as one of the earliest works by the painter from Monterubbiano, and datable to around 1510, the piece clearly shows the bright and detailed influence of the Crivelli school, as it can be seen in the cartouche, painted cherries and decorative motifs on the throne. Restored in 1968, this panel is an early masterpiece that testifies to the artistic richness of the Marche region at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries.
The church houses the canvas Sacra Conversazione, originally the altarpiece of the destroyed small church of Santa Maria della Sanità in Cisterna. Attributed to Giuseppe Liozzi (and not to his son Antonio, as previously believed) thanks to recent studies and a 1728 inventory, the painting depicts the Virgin and Child among angels and saints, including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Charles Borromeo and a group of patron saints invoked against disease (Saints James, Lucy, Victoria, Catherine of Alexandria). At the bottom, a charming coat of arms of nobility— possibly of the Giulietti family— tells stories of knights and ancient lineages of Ortezzano, also tied to the culture and art of organ building.
To the left of the altar, a canvas depicting the Madonna del Carmine with several saints— including St. Anthony of Padua and St. Louis IX— is attributed to the school of the famous painter from the Marche region Carlo Maratta, adding another valuable piece to the collection.
The church also houses a valuable Stations of the Cross of the Roman school of painting attributed to Sebastiano Conca; splendid tapestries flanking the altar from the Royal Palace of Caserta; historiated stained glass windows; and a striking golden mosaic that runs along the inner cornice, inscribed with the famous verses dedicated to the Virgin from Dante’s XXXIII canto of Paradise. A truly unique treasure is the faithful copy of the Bible of Borso d’Este, an absolute masterpiece of Italian Renaissance miniature art (1455-1461). Its pages were illustrated by the greatest artists of the time such as Taddeo Crivelli, transforming the manuscript an art gallery of incomparable beauty.
Finally, a historic organ built in 1751 by Giuseppe Attili, an exponent of the Montecarotto organ school, is located on the floor of the presbytery, the instrument preserves its original parts, as shown by the builder’s autograph inscription and the one referring to the 1906 restoration.
