MUSEUM OF THE HOUSE OF SANTA ROSA

The house where Saint Rosa once lived is now part of the Monastery of the Clarisse di Santa Rosa. Before arriving at the monastery dedicated to the saint (along via Casa di Santa Rosa), there is a plaque that marks the spot where ” The virgin St. Rose was born and lived”.

Info: Tel: 0761 342887 – E – Mail: monasterosantarosa@alice.it | Visiting hours Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 9:30 – 12:30; 15:30 – 18:30

HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION
The house where Saint Rosa once lived is now part of the Monastery of the Alcantarine di Santa Rosa. Before arriving at the monastery dedicated to the saint (along via Casa di Santa Rosa), there is a plaque that marks the spot where ” The virgin St. Rose was born and lived”. She was born into a common family and her parents names were Giovanni and Caterina. Ancient sources mention their goodness and that they were known as “Catholic and christian.” The lack of a patronymic, which at the time was only possessed by the noble families, demonstrates the humble origins of this family. The father was a farmer, which has been confirmed by the existence of a modest barn in his home. There seemed to have been a field that was rented out by nuns, in which the house of St. Rose bordered. After the death of St. Rose’s parents, the house belonged to various owners for more than three centuries. It was not until April of 1661 that the house went to the nuns. According to tradition, a series of miracles happened in the house. Among these miracles includes the one of Laura Biella who was miraculously healed by St. Rose. Biella was the last person to live inside the house. Several accounts state that the woman, who was in despair because all of her children died at birth, thought to give birth to her last child in St. Rose’s room so that she could have the joy of childbirth. Today, those rooms are dedicated to prayer. The house has a small garden which is joined to the Monastery and the Church of St. Rose. It is a complex that is now surrounded by the city walls. The structure, at the time of its construction, was located in the country side just outside of Porta Sonsa in an area inhabited by herdsmen and farmers. It was one of the first Franciscan monasteries in Italy and the first female monastery in Viterbo. We know that a small church and a monastery called St. Maria delle Rose once existed. These nuns were already present when St. Rose was born in 1215. In 1258 Pope Alexander IV found the uncorrupted body of St. Rose in the parish graveyard. He ordered for her body to be transferred to the monastery of St. Damian at the church of Santa Maria delle Rose. On September 4, 1258 her body was taken to the monastery and has since then taken the name of St. Rose. In 1258 the procession that carried the body was considered the first procession made ​​in honor of the Saint whose little coffin has now become the “tower that walks.” The church was restored in 1450 after a fire had damaged the structure and the body of the saint which still appears tarnished. The restoration was financed with money from pilgrims of the North who were going to Rome for the Jubilee through Via Francigena. These funds allowed the nuns to restore the church and they called for famous fresco artists such as Benozzo Gozzoli. The new church was consecrated on October 8, 1450 by Cardinal de Palù de’ signori di Varanbrone , bishop of St. John of Maurienne, assisted by Bishop Caranzoni. In the early 17th century, many frescoes and precious paintings were lost. Today, there are only two frescoes attributed to Gozzoli in a 15th century hall inside the monastery. The church, significantly expanded in 1632, was Gothic and lasted until 1845, when the Cardinal Pianetti and the nuns decided to build the present sanctuary. It wasn’t until the following year that work on the new church began. It was designed by Vincenzo Federici from Viterbo. Cardinal Pianetti had invited all the people of Viterbo to give offerings for the construction of the new church.

CASA DI SANTA ROSA
Traduzione di Catherine Fritz, Adelphi University, studentessa iscritta al programma USAC presso Università degli Studi della Tuscia.