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The Basilica of Saint Erasmus in Veroli: Romanesque style, monsters on the façade, and a miraculous chalice
The Basilica of Sant’Erasmo is reached by ascending via Garibaldi, whose medieval buildings feature mullioned windows and stone walls. The church stands on an oratory founded in 529 by St Benedict, who stayed in Veroli during his journey from Subiaco to Montecassino. The Romanesque portico with three arches in front of the façade dates to 1104-1127. The bell tower was originally a Roman tower.
The exterior of the Basilica
The façade is divided into two distinct sections. The lower part features the original Romanesque style: arches, cornices, and at the base, figures of monsters (grotesques) carved in stone, with ornamental friezes emerging from their mouths—a typical medieval motif with Eastern influences. The upper part features large windows created by architect Martino Veneziano in 1575. The three apses, clearly visible from the road below when exiting Porta Romana, complete the exterior.
The interior and the Eucharistic miracle
The interior was extensively remodelled in the 18th century. In the left aisle, a large canvas attributed to Sebastiano Conca (or to T. Kuntze according to the scholar Marcello Stirpe) depicts the meeting in 1170 between Pope Alexander III and Eberhard, Bishop of Bamberg, which took place here in the presence of sixteen cardinals. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament houses a gilt-silver chalice from the 14th century, central to the Eucharistic Miracle of March 26, 1570. It is used for Mass just once a year, on the Tuesday after Easter.
