The church of the Madonna of the Ball is in the main street of Ciciliano and was built in 1755 by the Theodoli family, expanding a previous small place of worship born around the image of a Madonna with Child, which we find today in the emblem of the municipality.
The history of its name is very interesting and dates back to 1659 when some boys were playing ball. Legend has it that, with the ball, the boys dropped a plaster that was hiding a fresco of the Virgin with Child. Another legend says that the Madonna would have saved some boys who were playing ball and who were falling into a ravine.
The marquises, in particular Gerolamo Theodoli, wanted to move the ancient place of worship which was located near the fortress and built a neoclassical style church with an imposing façade. Gerolamo was an architect and Prince of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome and among his works we mention the Argentina theater in Rome.
The facade of the church of Ciciliano takes up that of the Roman church of Saints Peter and Marcellinus with a large rectangular window above the entrance door and ends with a tympanum.
A real peculiarity is that from the keyhole you can see exactly the famous fresco of the Virgin and Child, still very revered.
The interior is a single large white room from which the colors of the fresco emerge and along the walls are all the vestments and equipment used in the processions of Ciciliano.
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