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Church of St James in Orvinio: an octagonal plan with frescoes by Vincenzo Manenti
Outside the village, on a hill along the road to Vallinfreda, the Church of San Giacomo in Orvinio is an octagonal building with a single entrance facing north. The nave, 12.64 metres in height, is irregularly shaped, inscribed within an ellipse.
Eight sides and Doric capitals
The octagon form is irregular, with two sides more extended than the others. The interior walls feature smooth plastered pilasters supporting capitals in local stone carved in the Doric style. A decorative band with cherubs and flowers connects them, interrupted only by the arch opening into the apse. Inside, on the consecrated marble altar, there are two frescoes attributed to Vincenzo Manenti: The Preaching of St James, and Jesus and the Samaritan Woman.
Lost and replaced frescoes
There were once three side altars, as documented in the "Visita Corsini" of 1781: one dedicated to St James, the other two bearing paintings of the Holy Crucifix and various saints. During the 20th century, these paintings were replaced by works of unknown authorship depicting the Dream of St Joseph and the Visitation. The original altars no longer exist.
The façade and the Muti tympanum
Three sides make up the Baroque façade, with the taller — 4.80 m — central one surmounted by a large tympanum bearing the coat of arms of the Muti family. The roof shows different beam angles, a sign that the side walls were raised at a later date.
