La chiesa di S. Maria delle Grazie a Montopoli di Sabina. Lettura critica dell'edificio sacro nel suo contesto

This essay aims to offer a critical interpretation of the church of S. Maria delle Grazie in Montopoli di Sabina. The building has developed from a votive shrine near an intersection of four ancient streets. Sandro Benedetti attributed it to the eighteenth-century architect Giuseppe Sardi. He was an author of many late Baroque works and close to the Borrominian lexicon. In this particular case by the way, the church represents an interesting example of Rococo architecture. The structure, situated just outside the town, due to some inappropriate changes of the surroundings has a difference in high with the road passing nearby. This causes a serious visual pollution. In fact, the current alteration does not allow a clean view of the facade and covers entirly the church's entrance. The height of the road has overturned the hierarchical relationship between the church and the road itself. It is necessary a renovation that concerns the whole urban layout of the area, and thinking about a new road system that takes into account the historical and artistic values expressed by the monument.