Santa Maria Goretti Church by Mario Cucinella Architects

Santa Maria Goretti Church is a new parish church located on the northern edge of the hill town of Calabria Mormanno overlooking Pollino National Park. Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, this church is a solitary, serene and monolithic building. The exterior of the building which has elements such as guards is inspired by natural forms as well as from the tradition of the apsidal Calabria church built by the monks of the former Roman Empire. The result is an innovative church, dedicated to Santa Maria Goretti (1890-1902).

the entrance to the Santa Maria Goretti Church

a church with concrete as a shroud

Access to the church is via a high incision made in one of its four white concrete apses. The entrance forms an external cross that at night emits colorful lights. The numinous interior, illuminated from the 16m-high ceiling through folds of translucent fabric hung in the form of arched curtains. This design focuses on the Eucharist and prayer with the geometry of the most interesting Baroque churches in Italy.

curved building geometry 

Through a competition organized by the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI), Mario Cucinella Architects won the commission for Santa Maria Goretti. Construction began in 2015 and was completed in 2021.

dynamic building form

ambient light that forms a cross at the entrance

The one-story building has a large concrete frame containing parish meeting rooms, church classrooms, and a priest's house—all centered around a central courtyard and under a lively 'green' roof. The north side of the parish center has a scalloped roofline that dialogues with the plan of the four-leaf clover and the shape of the church.

the atmosphere in the building at the time of the eucharist

arrangement of chairs, altar tables in the church

bright light in the interior

the cloth that is hung and shaped into folds of  curtains

Santa Maria Goretti Church site plan

Santa Maria Goretti Church plan