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The Church of the Most Holy Saviour in Selci: the Legacy of Forum Novum in the Heart of Sabina
In the historic centre of Selci, a Sabine village traversed by the Way of Saint Francis, the Church of the Santissimo Salvatore carries on the Christian heritage of the ancient Forum Novum. Its origins go back to the 9th century, when the population abandoned the devastated Roman site and settled on the hill, carrying their cult with them. A document of 1343, the Registrum episcopatus Sabinensis, already cites it as a parish seat.
Lombard Sculptures and Roman Stones
On the external wall, in Via Vittorio Emanuele II, two travertine slabs depict figures that appear to be menacing warriors. On closer inspection, they can be identified as two images of Archangel St Michael, with wings, sword and serpent underfoot. These sculptures, perhaps of Lombard origin, were nicknamed by the locals "Carnevale" and "Quaresima". Next to the entrance, a Roman inscription commemorates the family of the Orfidii.
The Interior and 17th-Century Altarpieces
The single-nave church preserves three altars. On the high altar, a 17th-century altarpiece depicts the Saviour amid clouds and angels, alongside the patron saints Stephen, Eleutherius, Roch and Bernardino in adoration. On the left, the altar of the Tartaglia family houses a 17th-century Immaculate Conception; on the right, that of the Savini-Nicci family preserves the Mysteries of the Rosary. The baptismal font in painted wood is the result of 18th century local craftwork.
