This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
Church of St Mary of the Hill in Ponticelli: one of Sabina’s oldest churches
The Church of Santa Maria del Colle is located in Ponticelli, a hamlet of Scandriglia in the province of Rieti. It is one of the oldest churches in the Sabina region: according to tradition it was consecrated by St Lawrence the Syrian, the first Sabine bishop. However, the building that can be seen today dates back to the Middle Ages.
A Romanesque façade among the houses
Originally, the church stood outside the castle walls. Today, it is incorporated into the village, indeed it is on the main street. The façade, consisting of limestone blocks, features a gabled profile with a stone portal and a blind lunette. Above, a small Romanesque shrine with twisted columns adds a distinctive Romanesque touch. A bell-gable juts out from the right hand side.
The interior frescoes
The interior consists of a single nave with a semicircular apse and a wooden-truss roof. The walls preserve fragments of frescoes likely dating from the 13th century: a Crucifixion on the counter-facade, a Death of the Virgin, and St George slaying the dragon. To the right of the presbytery stands a primitive stone pulpit, supported by two semi-columns with geometric consoles and frescoed side panels. The church was restored in 1968, after it had been in a state of severe disrepair.
