The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, also known as Sanctuary of the Spoliation, is a church in Assisi,

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

, central

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The current structure dates from the 11th-12th centuries, although it was built on a pre-existing

Palaeo-Christian The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various denominations, from the 1st century to the present. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish tea ...

church; the latter had been in turn erected above a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

edifice, the so-called " Propertius' Domus" or a temple dedicated to

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...

Page at Travelitalia website
/ref> or, according to the tradition, to Janus.Page at Frati Cappuccini's website
/ref> The church served as the city's cathedral until 1036, when the title was moved to the current Cathedral, the church of San Rufino. It has an undecorated façade divided vertically by

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s. The entrance door is surmounted by an ogival arch and a rose window, dated 1163 and signed by one ''Johannes'', identified by some with Giovanni da Gubbio, the architect of the

Assisi Cathedral Assisi Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale di Assisi or ''Cattedrale di San Rufino di Assisi''), dedicated to San Rufino (Rufinus of Assisi) is a major church in Assisi, Italy. This stately church in Umbrian Romanesque style was the third church built ...

. The bell tower, built in the 14th century, is in Gothic-Romanesque style. The interior has a

basilica plan In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

with a nave and two aisles, separated by pillars. The walls house fresco remains and paintings of the 14th-15th centuries, including a ''

Pietà The Pietà (; meaning " pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form ...

'' attributed to

Tiberio d'Assisi Tiberio d'Assisi (circa 1470–1524) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active in the early 16th century. He painted in the style of Pietro Perugino. He is also known as ''Tiberio Diatelevi'' or ''Tiberio di Assisi''. He painted a ...

and works by Pace di Bartolo. It is likely that the walls were entirely frescoed originally. There is also a panel of ''Madonna with Child'' from

Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his sma ...

's school. The crypt, belonging to the 10th-century church, is home to Roman architectural elements, such as decorated walls, pavements, capitals from "Propertius' Domus", and a sarcophagus with a sculpted cross, dating from the 9th century. From the annexed garden remains of the ancient city's walls can be seen. The Church holds the relics of the Blessed Carlo Acutis, making it a site of pilgrimage for many of the Catholic faithful.

References

Sources

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External links

Official website of the Sanctuary of the Spoliation
{{Coord, 43.0696, 12.6145, type:landmark_region:IT, display=title Maria Maggiore Romanesque architecture in Assisi 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy