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The Monastery of St Mary of Grace in Torricella in Sabina: the Romanesque Church Whose Apse Was Carved from a Tower
The Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie is situated just outside the historic centre of Torricella in Sabina, on the road to Poggio San Lorenzo. The Romanesque church is the oldest monument in the village: records of it exist as early as 956. The visitor will instantly notice a peculiar feature: the apse was not built, but carved out, forming a semicircular curve from a pre-existing tower.
An Ancient Foundation with Few Documents
Little is known about the history of the complex. The only certain document is dated 15 April 1650 drawn up by the Augustinian monks who lived there, penned by prior Fra Giovanni Pitorri, and today held in the Archivio Generale Agostiniano in Rome. It describes stables, dormitories with six rooms, a kitchen garden "for culinary use", land with walnut trees, apple trees, pear trees and oaks. It is not known when the Augustinians left.
Frescoes Coming Back to Light
The church has a rectangular single-nave plan with four side altars. During restoration works, three frescoes hidden for centuries beneath layers of plasterwork re-emerged on the walls: two Madonnas with Child and a Virgin flanked by St Nicholas of Tolentino and St Catherine of Alexandria. Near the high altar are fragments dated 1251. There is also a precious panel painting of the Madonna and Child, attributed to the school of Lippi, today kept by the cultural heritage Soprintendenza (Superintendency).
The Scars of War
In 1944, retreating German forces concealed tanks inside the church, breaking through the façade. Restoration work began in the late 1950s.
