Off the beaten path
The Valadier Temple, a neoclassical octagonal sanctuary built by Pope Leo XII to a design by the famous architect Giuseppe Valadier. Set between the rocky walls of the mountain, its beauty is such only when observed within the natural context that welcomes it: the white colour of the travertine marble with which it is entirely built, appears even whiter in the grotto; the lead dome that covers it, seems more imposing because it almost touches the rock above; the statue of the Virgin and Child in white Carrara marble by Antonio Canova, placed on the altar inside, is even more precious since it is set in such an impervious context.