The complex of SS. Annunziata in Vetralla stands on land rich in history, once home to the ancient Forum Cassii, the most significant settlement in the Vetralla area during the Roman era. Originally established as a statio along the Via Cassia around the mid-2nd century BC, the settlement became a key hub of the Via Francigena in the Middle Ages—the famous pilgrimage route connecting Northern Europe and Northern Italy to Rome, still traveled by many pilgrims today.
The first documented mention of a church on this site dates back to the 9th century, as recorded in a Bull of Pope Leo IV, in which he granted various territories, including the Massa of Forum Cassii, to the Bishop of Toscanella. The church’s earliest structural layout likely dates from this period.
In 1145, from the Castle of Vetralla, where he proclaimed the Second Crusade, Pope Eugene III donated the massa to the Order of the Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (the Hospitallers), who established a hospice for pilgrims and the sick.
During the 13th century, the site was further expanded with the addition of a leprosarium. In 1449, the church was dedicated to the Holy Annunciation (SS. Annunziata) as an act of gratitude for sparing Vetralla from an epidemic that had devastated the region.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the church was entrusted to the Order of the Knights of Malta, under whose administration it remained until the early 19th century.
The complex of SS. Annunziata developed over the centuries, enriched by buildings that were added alongside the ancient church. Already expanded with a Romanesque reconstruction on the northern side, the sacred building was later flanked on both sides by a series of spaces that changed their function over time.
La chiesa è ricca di tracce pittoriche che testimoniano il suo utilizzo protratto dall'XI al XVII secolo. Sulla controfacciata spicca una monumentale Crocefissione divisa in tre sezioni, datata tra la metà dell'XI e i primi decenni del XII secolo. Nelle absidi si conservano affreschi ascrivibili alla prima metà del XII secolo, mentre sulla parete sinistra si trovano testimonianze pittoriche (Madonna in Trono col Bambino affiancata da una Crocefissione) attribuite ad un giovane Masaccio (1423).
Il complesso della SS. Annunziata rappresenta un luogo di grande valore storico e artistico, dove si intrecciano le vicende di epoche diverse. Un sito che invita i visitatori a un viaggio nel tempo, alla scoperta delle sue stratificazioni storiche e artistiche, immersi nell'atmosfera suggestiva di un luogo che ha accolto pellegrini, infermi e Cavalieri per secoli.
The complex of SS. Annunziata in Vetralla is a fascinating place that invites you on a journey through time, blending history, art, and faith. A treasure to be discovered by lovers of culture and spirituality.
