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Church of St Agnes in Proceno: the chapel reborn in the heart of the Tuscia region
At the summit of the highest hill in Proceno, the Church of Sant'Agnese stands out for its circular form. It is the centre of local devotion to St Agnes of Montepulciano, who founded her monastery on this very spot in 1283. Its troubled history, in the heart of the Tuscia, makes it a unique place and a symbol of the resilience of an entire community.
A history of collapses and rebirths
The chapel we see today is not the original. An earlier version, built in 1872, collapsed after just one year due to the pozzolana quarries that had been dug under the ground. But the community refused to give up. The current structure was inaugurated in 1879, the fruit of steadfast popular devotion.
A portal that comes from afar
Looking at the façade, the eye is drawn to the travertine Renaissance portal. Not many people know it was salvaged from the ruins of the nearby Palazzo Sforza — a detail that connects two stories of the village. Inside, light enters through two large side windows, which replaced the original skylight on the dome.
The legacy of the Saint
Inside the church, an 1879 painting by Vincenzo Pacelli depicts the miraculous Communion of the Saint. It is a work that binds the building to its oldest history — that of Agnes, who lived here for twenty-three years. A simple place, but full of stories.
Admission is free during daytime hours. Photography is permitted, but not during religious services.
