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The Church of St Blaise in Nepi: a ciborium commissioned by pig merchants
Located in Piazza San Biagio no. 11 in Nepi, the Church of San Biagio is first mentioned in a document dating back to the year 950. It was originally part of a Benedictine nunnery under the control of the Monastery of San Ciriaco in Via Lata in Rome. Now declared a Site of National Interest, its single-nave interior preserves masonry from different periods, showcasing architectural transformations spanning from the 10th to the 12th century. The main portal features a 3rd-century AD Roman sarcophagus lid repurposed as an architrave - a striking and unusual example of ancient spolia (reused materials) that is immediately visible from the outside of the building.
The ciborium of the pig merchants
The most curious artefact inside is the ciborium (tabernacle) dating to 1490: a small structure featuring pointed arches and a groin vault. Positioned above the small column is a coat of arms depicting a sow with an oak branch. This was the emblem of the Università dei Mercanti di Suini (the Guild of Pig Merchants), a corporation that owned vast areas for pig farming in the surrounding countryside. Historical evidence suggests they were the patrons who commissioned this ciborium dedicated to St Blaise (San Biagio). Beneath the vault, a portrait of the saint is accompanied by an epigraph noting the year of construction.
The apse and the crypt
The apse features frescoes from various eras, the oldest of which date back to the 12th century, depicting two saints who cannot be identified with certainty, but may be St Benedict and St Lawrence. Beneath the presbytery lies a three-aisled crypt featuring reused columns, and housing a 13th-century fresco depicting the Virgin Enthroned with Child.
