Santa Maria Madre del Redentore a Tor Bella Monaca, Modern church in Tor Bella Monaca, Rome, Italy.
Santa Maria Madre del Redentore is a modern church in Tor Bella Monaca with a structure of exposed concrete panels rising toward the apse, forming a stepped profile. Diagonal reinforced concrete beams support wooden roof elements, creating a distinctive architectural form.
The church was built between 1985 and 1987, designed by architect Pierluigi Spadolini with engineer Riccardo Morandi contributing to the roof design. It was constructed as a new building in a neighborhood that had grown as a residential area after World War II.
The 15-metre cross behind the presbytery is a stylised tree, not two crossed beams, and shows Christ alive, seated on the cross as on a throne, following early Eastern iconography. Sculptor Mario Ceroli gave the figures at its foot the features of John Paul II, wearing a zucchetto and holding a text titled Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, dressed in a sari.
The church is located in the eastern part of Rome and can be accessed through both the main entrance and a separate side chapel entrance. Visitors should note that regular services take place, so the best time to visit for sightseeing is outside service hours.
The two tapering pinnacles are stylised joined hands in prayer, and a technical device makes them trace a cross at their summit, visible only when sunlight passes through it. The interior cross behind the presbytery is 15 metres high and shown as a stylised tree, with Christ alive and enthroned rather than dying.
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