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The Church of St John the Baptist in Lubriano: a thousand years of art overlooking the calanchi
The Church of San Giovanni Battista dominates Piazza San Giovanni Battista in Lubriano. This village, located in the Viterbo area, overlooks the Valle dei Calanchi and Civita di Bagnoregio. Its origins date back to the 9th century, when a Benedictine monastic cell stood here. Lombard-Carolingian interlace carvings survive from that period. The present church dates to 1120, though the Baroque façade was added after the earthquake of 1695.
The interior and its artworks
The atmosphere is one of intimate stillness typical of the Romanesque: a wide nave, deep shadows, silence. On the walls, 16th- and 17th-century frescoes restored in 2017 depict Saints Paul and Andrew and St John the Baptist. An outstanding canvas is the Annunciation by Girolamo Troppa, a Sabine painter from the 17th century trained in Rome under Carlo Maratti. The piece comes from the ancient convent of the Clarisse (Poor Clares) in the valley. Other canvases include a Deposition from the Cross and the Beheading of John the Baptist. In 1855 the relics of St Proculus were placed here.
The view
On leaving the church, one’s gaze falls directly onto the village of Civita. The Baroque nature of the square is completed by Palazzo Monaldeschi, facing the church.
