The Valadier Temple in Genga

Hidden within the walls of an ancient cave lies a place that seems straight out of a fantasy tale. It is the Valadier Temple in Genga, a neoclassical church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, nestled in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of the Gola della Rossa and Frasassi.

The inscription reads Refugium Peccatorum: this place has indeed sheltered believers fleeing from the world or perhaps from themselves for centuries. We are in the Marche, in the province of Ancona, within the municipality of Genga.

Behind the church lies a massive system of cavities and crevices that is part of the Frasassi Caves. Here, the local inhabitants sought refuge during invasions from Hungary in the 10th century. During the construction of the church, bones of adults and children, ovens for baking bread, grain storage, and even coins from the Bronze and Iron Ages were found.

The church is located on the left side of the Frasassi Gorge. The Valadier Temple was commissioned by Pope Leo XII in 1828, based on a design by architect Giuseppe Valadier. The church was built in an octagonal shape with a dome roof covered in lead plates. It was constructed using travertine sourced from a quarry located above the cave in the same gorge as the Frasassi Caves.

Inside the octagonal church was housed a Madonna and Child sculpture by Canova, which is now displayed in the sacred art museum of Genga for security reasons.

Not far from the Valadier Temple is another sacred structure that shares its walls with the mountain and precariously perches outside the cave. This is the Madonna Infra Saxa, a hermitage dating back to 1029 where Benedictine nuns lived in seclusion.

The Valadier Temple can be reached via the road that leads from the Frasassi Caves to Genga. You can drive until you reach the sign for "Living Nativity Scene."

From here, a steep path of about one kilometer begins, leading to the Temple.

The walk to the temple is quite scenic but slightly uphill. By car, you can reach the Abbey of San Vittore alle Chiuse to try to park just before the actual path begins. It takes a little over a kilometer uphill to reach the church in the cave.

If you plan to visit the Temple, it is advisable to check ahead of time with the Pro Loco di Genga or the FAI - Italian Environment Fund Page. During the FAI Days, the church observes the following hours