Off the beaten path
Discover the exquisite Valadier Temple, a neoclassical octagonal sanctuary commissioned by Pope Leo XII and designed by the renowned architect Giuseppe Valadier. Its profound beauty is inseparable from the unique natural context that cradles it: set dramatically between the mountain's rocky walls, the white travertine marble of the temple appears strikingly brilliant within the grotto's shadow. The lead dome seems more imposing as it almost touches the rock above, and the precious white Carrara marble statue of the Virgin and Child by Antonio Canova, placed on the altar, gains heightened significance set within this impervious, natural sanctuary.