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Church of Archangel St Michael in Guarcino: centuries of history among frescoes and medieval crypt
Located in the historic center of Guarcino, in the Ernici Mountains (Monti Ernici) in the province of Frosinone, the Church of San Michele Arcangelo (Archangel St Michael) holds within it two thousand years of stratified history. According to local tradition, a pagan temple dedicated to Mars once stood beneath its foundations. Later, a primitive medieval chapel was erected, followed by the church built in 1587 for Benedictine nuns, and finally the 1790 building seen today.
The bell-gable
An outstanding feature is found outside the church: the 12th-century bell-gable, a wall structure with arched openings for bells, detached from the main building. It is one of the rare examples of this type in the entire Latium region, a singular architectural example that has survived seven centuries of remodelling.
Inside the church
The single nave preserves frescoes from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries on its walls. On the ceiling, the large fresco of Archangel Michael, restored in 1973, takes centre stage. The oldest part of the building, however, lies in the crypt, featuring 11th and 12th century frescoes, from which the entire building originated. Specialist studies have recently identified the saints depicted in several badly damaged frescoes in the nave, including St John the Evangelist with a chalice and serpent, bearing clear medieval stylistic traits.
