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The Church of San Martino (St Martin): Roman Stones and Votive Frescoes on the Pilgrim's Road
The country Church of San Martino and its adjoining hermitage is located just one kilometre from the centre of Poggio Moiano, in the Upper Sabina region. It dates to around 1300, and is built from spolia (reused materials) taken from the ancient city of Trebula Mutuesca: friezes, a bucranium, stone blocks. Its position on the Roman road that went from the ancient Sabine city to Monte Miano made it a reference point for the Abbey of Farfa.
A Façade That Blends the Ages
The profile is Romanesque: a gabled façade in local stone, a bell gable on the left-hand side, a central rose window. A closer look at the masonry reveals decorative elements taken from a Roman funerary monument. The interior is simple, with a single nave. Two frescoes depict St Martin and St Anthony Abbot. The altar is a stone on which the ancient Romans performed their sacrifices.
A Holy Water Stoup with a Sacrificial Past
A curious detail: the stone vessels used as holy water stoup and baptismal font originally served to collect the blood of sacrificial victims. They both come from Roman times.
Today a Pilgrim Hostel
Left in disrepair and abandoned until 1972, the church has been completely restored. The adjoining section, formerly occupied by a hermit, is now a hermitage for pilgrims travelling the Way of Saint Francis. A garden surrounds the complex.
