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Church of Our Lady of Loreto in Toffia: the small castle parish church of Sabina
The Church of Madonna di Loreto is located in the historic centre of Toffia, a village in the Sabina area, in the province of Rieti. Its construction is probably contemporary with or even earlier than the Castrum Thophiae, which is already mentioned in 940 in the Regestum Farfensis. Small and bare, there is no certain dating, but its origins appear to go back a long way.
A church born with the castle
Its original function was that of a castle church or castle parish, serving the lord who founded the castle. The Abbey of Farfa, when granting permission to build a castle, also requested that a place of worship be placed within it.
What you can see inside
The interior is plain. The walls are devoid of decorations, with two exceptions: above the altar there is a fresco in poor condition, featuring the Orsini family coat of arms flanked by two figures that cannot be made out. Behind the altar, in the apsidal niche, a second fresco — recently restored — features a style that is late Renaissance, although precise dating remains difficult.
Where to find it
The church is located in Piazza Lauretana, Toffia (RI).
