MONTEMONACO

CHURCH OF SAN GIORGIO ALL'ISOLA

(LOCATION CERQUETO) This church stands on the banks of the Aso. It has always belonged to the Farfensi monks: in an act of 996 the Abbot of Farfa concedes the church of S. Giorgio to three presbyteries for a fee payable to the monastery of S. Vittoria in Matenano, seat of the vicarage of the Abbey of Farfa. Records attest this subordination to Farfa up until 1586, while in the 14th century, records indicated the title of parish was attributed to the church of S. Giorgio. In 1535 the church underwent restoration and addition, as attested by the inscription on the architrave on the entryway. Two towers were added to the façade, and on the inside a the single nave was flanked by a second, communicating nave, and a sacristy. The base of the tower has a cryptoporticus with ogive vault, and on the top a sail-type structure, raised at later date to hold the bells. At the back, the apse with a small single lancet window represents the oldest part of the church. The original nave is divided into three irregular bays by pillars that support the two ogive arches; on the sides of the bays fragmentary frescoes are visibile. There is a polygonal baldachin, decorated with frescoes (including one of S. Giorrgio) from the 16th century by G. Agnelli on the back wall. The sides of the baldachin lead to the apse, which preserves the remains of byzantine frescoes from the 12th century, that can be attributed to southern masters, and illustrating the “Deesis”, or Great Prayer, an icon of oriental origin.

CHURCH OF DI SAN LORENZO IN VALLEGRASCIA

( LOCATION VALLEGRASCIA) The name of this church derives from its location in a place where two small ditches join to a larger, third ditch: Rio Cannavino. Its foundation dates back the second half of the 12th century, and its territory appears to have been tied to the abbey of Farfa: according to a 1141 devise, a feudal landlord conceded the territory of Rascio (today called Vallegrascia) to the Farfense Abbey, where subsequently the church was erected. However the church is not present in the 1198 list of churches under the Farfa, and according to a 1301 record the church of S. Lorenzo is listed as belonging to the Pieve di S. Angelo in Montespino. The original structure was much smaller; it has a single nave with a semi-circular apse. Today’s building, constructed from arenaceous stone, shows much disintegration owing to the restorations and additions over the centuries. The façade has a door bordered by arenaceous ashlars, and the lateral walls show the evidence of reworking. A bell tower rises from the back, where it was later placed, with arched opening at the top. The apse is divided in three parts by two pilasters with small single lancet windows. The interior is divided into four bays by semi-pillars that support the wooden ceiling; the last bay holds the raised presbytery. On the sides of back wall, two triumphal arches have been recovered. The open one on the right leads to a rectangular room and to the space behind the apse. The apse was built in stone with a central single lancet window and is delimited by a gothic arch and decorated with a horizontal band of sculpted reliefs. In the room in front of the apse are two large arenaceous memorial tablets, sculpted in bas relief, which were discovered during restoration. The tablets are signed by Masters Guitonio and Atto. Following the conclusions of a comparative study, these masters are considered to be the creators of the other decorations in the church. The two sculpted tablets, dated to the 12th century, illustrate the theme of human salvation, and it appears that they were used as as part of a separation between the presbytery from the church body (plutei). The right side of the presbytery leads to an interesting crypt. It has a square plan with a ship-type vault supported by two centrally place columns, dividing it into a central nave and two lateral naves; the central nave is extended into the apse, which has a single lancet window, the only light source. The capitals of the columns have interesting carvings with floral and animal motifs.

CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA IN CASALICCIO

(FRAZIONE TOFE) Dating back to the 13th century, it was a popular Marian Sanctuary in the 14th and 15th centuries. It has a gothic structure with two naves. The interior of the church preserves a polychrome group of figures of the “Virgin Mary and child” from the 16th century, a wooden group of the “la Madonna del Rosario”, from the same period, and valuable frescoes from the 1500s attributed to V. Vergari.

CHURCH OF SAN BIAGIO

(FRAZIONE ISOLA SAN BIAGIO) A Romanesque style church that was enlarged to accomodate the population and joined to the church of S. Benedetto. It was elected parish church in 1827 with the name SS. Trinità. A fresco from the Crivellesca school (possibly by Pietro Alemanno) and a wooden crucifix from the 15th century are visibile inside.

CHURCH OF SAN BENEDETTO ABBATE

CHURCH OF DI SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA

Of very ancient origins but recontructed in 1546, as attested by the date inscribed on the doorway; in that year the facade and cuspidate doorway in tufa (still present today) was completed. The church was incorporated into the wall complex, and in fact uses a wall tower as its bell tower. It contains the apse from the church of S. Biagio, and also preserves: a polychrome wooden Crucifix from the end of the 15th century, a fresco from the end of the 1400s, a 17th century painting on canvas and the reliquary of the Arm of Braccio di S. Benedetto.

CHURCH OF SAN MICHELE ARCANGELO

CHURCH OF SAN BARTOLOMEO

(FRAZIONE FOCE) Standing on the ruins of an ancient abbey, it has been restored by Don Brunori, a local parish priest.

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