Santa Maria di Collemaggio
S. Maria di Colle Maggio is a large Romanesque- Early Gothic church in L' Aquila, famous for its architecture, its unique façade in the jewelry box style of red and white stone and the grave of the order's founder and Pope Celestine V, who founded the church. It is picturesquely situated on the outskirts of the city in a park. As a former principal church of the Congregation of the Celestines they belonged to a monastery, from which even the cloister and the refectory remains can be seen today.
History
The origin of the church dates back to the year 1274. At this time returned the hermit Pietro del Murrone and Founder, who later became Pope Celestine V, the Council of Lyons home, where he had achieved the recognition of his order. On his way back, he stayed on the hill Colle Maggio before L' Aquila and received there in the dream of Mary, who appeared to him on a golden staircase, surrounded by angels, instructed to build a church. 1287 Pietro acquired the land and began the following year with the construction, which was completed in 1289.
When Pietro was elected in 1294 to Pope Celestine V, he settled on August 29 crown in his new monastery church of Santa Maria di Colle Maggio and drew it out with a drain privilege: all the faithful who everyone in the church on 28 and 29 August year prayed after receiving the Sacrament of Penance and Holy Communion received, should receive a plenary indulgence. From then on, the church became the place of pilgrimage and as such was quickly widely famous when Celestine V died in 1296, canonized in 1313, and was buried in 1326 in Santa Maria di Colle Maggio.
In the earthquake of L' Aquila on 6 April 2009, the church was severely damaged, with the transept and part of the apse collapsed. However, the spilled glass reliquary containing the relics of Pope Celestine V was recovered intact from the rubble. Shortly after the earthquake, Pope Benedict XVI. when he visited the church on April 28, 2009, his pallium, which he had received to the office, on the reliquary Celestine V down. The shrine was then transferred to the crypt of the Cathedral of Sulmona, in the vicinity of St.. Celestine V had lived as a hermit.
Equipment
Until the earthquake in 2009 was in the church a valuable organ, which was built in the late 17th century by an unknown organ builder. The instrument was largely destroyed in the earthquake. It had 14 stops on one manual (F, G, A - c4: Principale Basso 12 ', 12 Principale Primo ', Principale Secondo, ottava, Quintadecima, Decimanona, Vigesimaseconda, Vigesimasesta, Vigesimanona, Trigesimaterza, Flauto in V, VII Flauto in, Tromboni 12 ', Usignoli ), and an attached pedal (F- gis0 ).