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The Church of St Mary Magdalene Vecchia in Colli sul Velino: the Romanesque Building Abandoned After the Earthquake
The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena Vecchia is located in the hamlet of Castel San Benedetto, in the municipality of Colli sul Velino. The Romanesque building dates from the 11th–12th centuries, built when the castle was an outpost of the Diocese of Rieti. The church served the rural community that lived around the fortress, before the village grew further down the valley. After the earthquake of 1703 it was abandoned, and never reopened for worship.
Romanesque Architecture
The structure preserves its medieval layout: a rectangular ground plan with a single nave, semicircular apse, façade in local stone with a round-arched portal. The roof has collapsed in several places, and the interior is bare, but traces of frescoes can still be seen on the walls of the apse, datable to the 13th century. The bell gable, added in the 14th century, is still standing, but damaged.
Current State and Setting
The building is in a state of consolidated ruin: structurally unstable but stabilised to prevent collapse. It is not visitable inside, and is located in an isolated position, outside the inhabited area. It can be reached via an unpaved road from the village of Castel San Benedetto. It is an example of medieval religious architecture abandoned after earthquakes, common in this area of Sabina. Around it are the remains of the castle and medieval walls half-covered by vegetation.
