The Church of the Holy Crucifix

Church of the Holy Crucifix – Santa Maria di Acquasanta Terme

Where ancient water meets devotion

The Church of the Holy Crucifix stands in the thermal village of Santa Maria, built on the second floor of a building that rests on ancient Roman thermal baths. In this place, over two thousand years ago, spontaneous springs flowed at a higher elevation than the current Tronto River, just below the ancient Via Salaria, the Roman road that crossed the territory before the modern route.

Originally dedicated to the Madonna of Mercy, the church assumed its current name after the Marian statue was moved to a side altar and a finely colored wooden crucifix was placed in the center, with vivid and intentionally bright tones. This unique work reflects the popular sensibility and expressive power of mountain faith.

The building, made of local stone with a sober structure, preserves an intimate atmosphere that dialogues with the surrounding water and silence. Just below are the ancient baths of “Lu Vurghe”, the mill, and the small beach on the Tronto: living testimonies of the millennial bond between nature, thermal springs, and spirituality.

Visiting tips:

• A suggestive stop on the GABA route and a cultural variant to visit after a regenerating bath at Lu Vurghe.

• It will be made more evocative by allowing future visits to the underlying Roman baths; the spring and the sacristy cave are particularly suggestive.

• At sunset, the warm light enhances the colors of the crucifix and the stone of the façade.

📍 Santa Maria Locality – Municipality of Acquasanta Terme (AP)