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The Church of Our Lady of Loreto in Guarcino: the 15th-century fresco hidden outside the walls
Just south of the village of Guarcino, the Church of the Madonna di Loreto preserves a 15th-century fresco attributed to the school of Perugino: a Madonna di Loreto (Our Lady of Loreto) painted by Pietro d'Alatri, an artist active in the Ciociaria region at a time when Umbrian influence had spread far and wide thanks to the pilgrimage routes. The church is no longer open for worship, but the work survives.
A family foundation
Its origins date to the 14th century or earlier. The church was dedicated to the Most Holy Nativity, and founded by Francesco Buonfiglioli of Caprarola, who had settled in Guarcino. His daughter Alessandra, upon marrying into the Benassi family, transferred to the latter the jus patronatus — the right to appoint the chaplain and administer the Masses. One every Saturday, plus seven on Marian feast days: so the bequest stipulated, and so it was followed for centuries.
Background: Guarcino and Umbrian painting
In the 15th century, Guarcino was a flourishing village, passed through by St Benedict on his journey to Montecassino, protected by the Anagni popes, and rich in towers and palaces. The fresco of the Madonna di Loreto bears witness to the artistic ties with Umbria — Perugino was working just a few days' journey away — and to the Loreto devotion that was already widespread before the Marche sanctuary became a destination for mass pilgrimage.
