This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
The Country Church of Madonna di Torano: an early 16th-century fresco in San Lorenzo Nuovo
The country church of Madonna di Torano is located in San Lorenzo Nuovo, in the province of Viterbo. For the local community it is an important social hub: the Ascension, May liturgies, and above all the feast of September 8 are celebrated here.
The Origins
The area is of archaeological interest: Etruscan traces dating from the 5th century BC to the Hellenistic period have been found. The church has appeared in documents since 1693. It has a single nave with side chapels and a tuff bell tower. Its current appearance dates back to 1875, thanks to Don Eugenio Licca and the local population. In 1986, during restoration works, a new basaltina stone altar with a sculpted terracotta frontal was added.
The fresco of the Master of Torano
The original altar features a fresco of the Madonna and Child, attributed to the so-called Master of Torano, an early 16th-century painter influenced by Piermatteo d'Amelia. The Child is standing on a cushion, and is about to untie the cincture; the Madonna holds a white carnation, a symbol of the Passion. The iconography draws on the visions of St Bridget, and has a Eucharistic meaning.
