The Sanctuary, designed by Antonio Cua, was consecrated to the Madonna del Rosario in May 1891.
Its foundation was possible thanks to the tireless work of Bartolo Longo. He was a lawyer from Latiano, province of Brindisi, who came to Pompeii in 1872 to look after the properties of Countess De Fusco, whom he married in 1885.
At the same time, he began an intense activity for the spreading of the Christian religion by establishing the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. He promoted a population subscription campaign called "a penny a month" to finance the construction of a large church to be dedicated to the Madonna Del Rosario.
The facade of the Sanctuary of Pompeii is made of travertine on a project by the architect Giovanni Rispoli, and was completed in 1901.
At the top is the monumental statue of the Virgin of the Rosary sculpted from a single block of Carrara marble by Gaetano Chiaramonte. The façade has an atrium with three arches in the lower part, in the upper one in the center is the Papal Loggia adorned with two granite columns.
The bell tower, built on a project by Aristide and Pio Leonori in 1925, in gray granite and white marble, has five floors. At the top there is a bronze dome surmounted by a jeweled cross in copper and bronze. The interior of the Sanctuary is a Latin cross with three naves, the central one is dominated by a huge dome 57 meters high.
The walls are adorned with polychrome marble and frescoes that illustrate the history of the Sanctuary. At the center of the main altar is the painting of the Virgin of the Rosary with the Child and on the sides San Domenico and Santa Caterina da Siena.
The painting, enclosed in a gilded bronze frame, is surrounded by the 15 mysteries of the Rosary painted by Vincenzo Paliotti. The history of the painting is unusual. It was bought by father Alberto Maria Radente of the convent of S. Domenico Maggiore from a second-hand dealer from Naples, who donated it to Bartolo Longo. The transport to Pompeii was carried out by a carter on a manure loaded wagon.
When it was learned that a young woman, who turned to the Madonna painting, was healed from epilepsy, the painting became an object of popular devotion all over the world.
On the 8th of May and the first Sunday of October, the Supplication to the Madonna written by Bartolo Longo himself is recited.
The same, to give assistance to the poor, orphans, children of prisoners, started the creation of a series of social and religious works, such as the women's orphanage, the valley printing house, the hospice for the daughters of prisoners, the workers' houses, the hospice for the children of prisoners.
Following the transfer of all the works created by Bartolo Longo to the Holy See, the Sanctuary became the Pontifical Basilica. The Founder died on 5 October 1926 at the age of 84, and was proclaimed Blessed in October 1980 by Pope John Paul II, who visited Pompeii on 21 October 1979 and 7 October 2003. The monument sculpted in 1962 by Domenico Ponzi which stands in front of the Sanctuary is dedicated to Bartolo Longo.
The same, to give assistance to the poor, orphans, children of prisoners, started the creation of a series of social and religious works, such as the women's orphanage, the valley printing house, the hospice for prisoners’ daughters, the workers' houses, the hospice for prisoners’ children.
Following the transfer of all Bartolo Longo’s artworks to the Holy Site, the Sanctuary became a Pontifical Basilica. The Founder died on October 5th, 1926 at the age of 84, and was proclaimed Blessed in October 1980 by Pope John Paul II, who visited Pompeii on October 21th, 1979 and October 7 th, 2003. The monument that stands in front of the Sanctuary was sculpted in 1962 by Domenico Ponzi and is dedicated to Bartolo Longo.
