More Churches of Fondi

The Ex Church and Convent of San Domenico

The church and convent of San Domenico was given to the Benedictine monks in the year 1215. It is believed that the original church of Sancta Maria Iuxta Anphiteatrum Civitatis Fundanæ had been built on the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre.   The complex was restored by Count Ruggiero dell’Aquila and then later in 1466 the duke Caetano II erected a new church in a late Gothic style.

Saint Thomas Aquinas lived in the convent for some time, three rooms still exist that were inhabited by the saint. One was where he dictated lessons, another was where he slept and where mass was celebrated, and the third that was the oratory. It is certain that the remains of the Saint were kept in the adjoining chapel, having been transfered from the Abbey of Fossanova, the place of his death – 17th March 1274. In 1367 Pope Urban V ordered that the saint’s remains  be taken to the Church of the Jacobins in Toulouse, France. The convent has a beautiful cloister with a garden in the centre. Up until 1835 an orange tree grew here that was said to have been planted by Thomas Aquinas himself.

The convent was once used as the town hospital. However the site was badly damaged during World War II. In recent years the complex underwent significant restoration, during which some frescoes of the original church of Santa Maria were uncovered. The ex church and convent now serves as an auditorium, with several multimedia rooms, a museum and cultural spaces for educational activities.

The Church of San Martino

The small Church of San Martino was built on the site of a Roman domus. During recent restoration work the remains of some mosaic floors were discovered dating from the first and second century AD and many other interesting artefacts. The church stands in Via Vittruvio Vacca.

The Church of the Madonna del Soccorso

The small Church of the Madonna del Soccorso is sited along the ancient route of the Via Appia, just out of the centre of Fondi, in the direction of Terracina. It is believed that the church dates from the 14th century and it has a rural Romanesque appearance. The façade has two pointed arches. There is a bell tower above the sloping roof. The interior has a single nave with round arches. The fresco at the sacristy dates back to the seventeenth century and was commissioned by the Comparini. Sadly, other frescoes are very faded.