Madonna della Porta, Racconigi

The Chiesa della Madonna della Porta is a Roman Catholic church in Racconigi, Province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, Italy.

History

The church was erected and dedicated to the Madonna in gratitude for the cessation of the plague epidemic in 1630–31 that killed nearly a quarter of the inhabitants. Residents seeking protection prayed to an icon of the Virgin found near the gate of the city. The fresco was replaced by a painting. In the late 17th century, when the walls were torn down, a church was erected at the site to shelter the image, patronized by Giovanni Angelo Spada, his coat of arms is in the presbytery. The church housed the Compagnia delle Umiliate, a flagellant confraternity.

In 1700, Giovanni Battista Pozzo painted 8 canvases for the church of which six remain:

• Birth of the Virgin
• Presentation of Mary at the Temple
• Adoration of the Magi
• Flight to Egypt
• Marriage of the Virgin
• Circumcision

The main altarpiece was painted in 1631. The ceiling has elaborate 18th-century stucco decoration.