“Did anyone lose a ball?” The Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Arco, a seemingly ordinary church, holds an extraordinary secret within its walls. A secret born from a fit of anger and a game gone wrong. The Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Arco stands on a site that was once home to a simple shrine. Legend has it that in 1450, a young man, enraged after losing a game of jeu de mail, hurled his ball at an image of the Madonna and Child. To everyone’s astonishment, the image began to bleed from the cheek, a sign interpreted as a divine miracle. This event attracted crowds of pilgrims and eventually led to the construction of the Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Arco, a testament to the power of faith and the unexpected consequences of a game gone wrong.
Fontana delle Conchiglie
This unassuming fountain, the Fontana delle Conchiglie, holds a secret. It wasn’t always meant to stand alone. Built in 1938