This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
Church of Archangel St Michael in Greccio: the parish overlooking the Franciscan village
The Church of San Michele Arcangelo, dedicated to the patron saint of Greccio, stands on the highest point of the hill, its origins dating back to the 11th century.
A church that stood up to earthquakes
In 1799, damage forced the church to close. It reopened in 1808, when Bishop Saverio Marini and the village priors initiated restoration work, first entrusted to Bernasconi of Rieti and later to engineer Fedeli in 1825. The 1915 earthquake severely damaged the foundations and walls of the building, requiring consolidation work that continued until 1944.
What you can see inside
The interior is a large rectangular hall of approximately 10 × 16 m, covered by a barrel vault. There are two side chapels: on the right, St Anthony of Padua; on the left, the Immaculate Virgin — the latter featuring stucco decorations attributed to Gregorio Grimani, made in 1636. The high altar is dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, depicted in a large anonymous 19th-century canvas. On the walls are paintings by Vincenzo Manenti (1600–1674). The 18th century water stoups at the entrance are in pink Cottanello marble. In the choir loft there is a pipe organ from 1831, the work of Count Alderano Spada of Terni.
The bell tower and the medieval walls
The bell tower, built in the 17th century on the remains of one of the six towers of the ancient fortified walls, stands 50 metres from the church. Beside it, a medieval gate with a round arch is preserved.
