Santa Filippa Mareri Sanctuary: Faith, History, and Adventure in Lazio

The Santa Filippa Mareri Sanctuary, located in Borgo San Pietro, a hamlet of Petrella Salto in the province of Rieti, is a place of profound spirituality and rediscovery of Franciscan roots. Its history dates back to the 13th century, intertwining with the life of Santa Filippa, a figure of great devotion and courage.

The Relics of Santa Filippa: A Miracle Beyond Time

The remains of Santa Filippa (the entire skeleton) are kept with veneration in an urn placed inside the frescoed stone altar. It was in this very niche that the saint’s body, wrapped in a shroud, found rest after her death. An extraordinary event dates back to 1706, when the Poor Clares decided to exhume the body. Along with the bones, a mass of tissue that appeared to be incorrupt flesh was found.

A medical commission determined it was the heart, along with a small part of the lung, miraculously preserved from time. Legend has it that, upon contact with the scalpel, blood even gushed forth. To this day, the cut made on the left side of the heart is visible, preserved in a precious 18th-century reliquary, a tangible testament to a miraculous event. The chapel also houses other relics of the saint, a destination for pilgrimages and prayers.

Ex Votos: Testimonies of Grace and Devotion

Devotion to Santa Filippa is evidenced by a rich collection of ex votos: flaming silver hearts, photographs, baby clothes, frames with inscriptions narrating graces received. Unfortunately, many precious ex votos were stolen during a robbery, but in the sanctuary’s museum one can still admire some pictorial ex votos dating from the last century, a visual testament to popular faith.

The Rebuilt Chapel: A Symbol of Rebirth

The chapel dedicated to Santa Filippa was faithfully rebuilt, stone by stone, recreating the appearance of the ancient monastery founded by the saint herself. A significant historical event linked the fate of the monastery to the surrounding area: in the late 1940s of the last century, the entire area, including the monastery, was submerged by water for the creation of the artificial Lake Salto. Thanks to the intervention of the Superintendency of Fine Arts, the chapel was rebuilt at the parish church of SS. Pietro e Paolo, thus preserving an important historical and spiritual heritage.

Santa Filippa Mareri: A Life Dedicated to God and the Poor

Filippa Mareri was born into a noble family of the area. Orphaned at a young age, she was promised in marriage to a local lord by her older brother Tommaso, for reasons of political alliances. However, Filippa refused this fate, dedicating herself to prayer and works of charity towards the poor who came to the castle to receive alms. Her decision to renounce family comforts matured following her meeting with Saint Francis of Assisi, during one of his pilgrimages to Mareri.

When relations with her family became unsustainable, Filippa, together with some young devotees, took refuge in a cave near Mareri, where she lived for several years in prayer and penance. Faced with such determination, her brother Tommaso surrendered and, going to the cave, asked Filippa for forgiveness, giving her the castle of Borgo San Pietro, where the saint could found her monastery, following the Franciscan rule.

A Spiritual and Historical Adventure: Discovering the Sanctuary

A visit to the Santa Filippa Mareri Sanctuary offers an experience that goes beyond simple religious devotion. It is an opportunity to immerse oneself in the history of the place, to admire sacred artworks, and to reflect on the life of a saint who knew how to renounce privileges to follow her vocation.

Ideas for exploration:

• The Chapel of Relics: Admire the urn containing the remains of Santa Filippa and the heart reliquary, testimony to a miraculous event.
• The Ex Voto Museum: Discover the testimonies of faith and graces received through the paintings and votive objects.
• The Sanctuary Surroundings: Explore the hamlet of Borgo San Pietro, with its stone houses and characteristic alleys.
• Lake Salto: Admire the panorama of the lake, which submerged the ancient monastery, and discover the history of its creation.
• The Cave of Santa Filippa: Undertake an excursion to the cave where the saint took refuge, a place of peace and spirituality immersed in nature. (Check the accessibility and conditions of the trail).

The Santa Filippa Mareri Sanctuary is a place that invites reflection, prayer, and the discovery of a territory rich in history and natural beauty. An unforgettable experience for anyone wishing to deepen their faith and learn about the roots of Franciscanism in Lazio.