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The Capuchin Friary and Church of St Andrew in Collevecchio: Four Centuries of Poverty and Rebirth
Among the hills of the lower Sabina region, halfway between Collevecchio and Cicignano, the Friary of Sant'Andrea (St Andrew) stands on a panoramic ridge where the Romans had already built cisterns to collect groundwater. On those very foundations, in the late 16th century, the Capuchin friars built the friary we see today. Its equidistant position between the two villages sparked a dispute that lasted centuries, over which community had claims on it.
Built with the Stones of Three Churches
On 24 May 1597, by order of Cardinal Paleotti, Bishop of Sabina, three small ruined churches — Sant'Andrea, Sant'Angelo, and San Lorenzo — were demolished, and with the resulting material, funded by the local population and built with voluntary labour, construction of the friary began. The church was consecrated in 1614, and dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle, patron saint of Collevecchio. The friary, with its 17 cells, adhered strictly to the Capuchin rule of poverty. The remains of Father Benedetto da Aspra Sabina, who died in the odour of sanctity, are preserved here.
Abandonment and Rebirth
The friars left the friary in 1964. For twenty years it was a rubbish dump, its roofs collapsing. In 1989 a group of friends led by theologian Giuseppe Florio purchased and restored it. Today it is home to Progetto Continenti, an international solidarity association, and welcomes groups, schools, and pilgrims travelling on the Way of St Francis.
