The church was annexed to the demolished Benedictine monastery that once stood on what is now Piazza del Monte; consecrated in 1325, the complex originated in the 13th century. In 1553, the church became the Sforza family mausoleum, where the family’s remains were transferred from the Church of San Giovanni Battista. The current decoration is the result of a complete reconstruction of the church and monastery in the eighteenth century: the church’s design was signed in 1740 by Luigi Vanvitelli, a renowned architect of the Papal States and the author of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The reconstruction of the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, entrusted by Vanvitelli to his pupil Antonio Rinaldi, was completed in 1745.
After the unification of Italy, with the transfer of church property to the state, the church was left unattended, and several works that adorned it were removed, including three altarpieces by the Pesaro artist Giannandrea Lazarini. The facade, unfinished at the top, is concave.
As in many other buildings, the material used is terracotta, alternating with white Istrian stone on the portal. The interior is decorated with stucco sculptures and bas-reliefs by Giuseppe Mazza, a Bolognese artist working in Pesaro, who also worked in the Church of Santissima Annunziata.
In 1995, restoration was carried out by architect Selio Fransioni, who authorized the use of the space as a venue for cultural events; as a result, Lazarini’s paintings were returned to their original place.
Sources:
http://www.comune.pesaro.pu.it/cultura/teatri-e-arene/teatri/chiesa-di-santa-maria-maddalena/
