San Michele Arcangelo is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

church located on Largo San Gianuario, in front of the more imposing church of San Gianuario in the town of

Marsico Nuovo Marsico Nuovo ( Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Potenza in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. It was the seat of the bishops of Grumentum. It is an agricultural centre in the Agri river valley. History The city's ...

, province of Potenza, region of Basilicata, Italy.

History

The popularity of churches dedicated to the warrior angel was spread by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

, and this and some documents attest to this church existing centuries before 1131, perhaps in the time of the

Duchy of Benevento The Duchy of Benevento (after 774, Principality of Benevento) was the southernmost Lombard duchy in the Italian Peninsula that was centred on Benevento, a city in Southern Italy. Lombard dukes ruled Benevento from 571 to 1077, when it was conq ...

. The church at the site has undergone many reconstructions over the centuries. Many are due to damage by earthquakes, including one in 1700 cited by a plaque in the belltower. The present facade was likely the original apse. The main portal in gothic-style dates to the 13th century or earlier, and is attributed to the Master

Melchiorre da Montalbano Melchiorre da Montalbano was an Italian architect and sculptor, active in the 13th century in the region of Basilicata. Details of his life are few. He is said to have been born in Montalbano, and worked under or with Bartolomeo da Foggia. He w ...

. The interior has a medieval stone baptismal font and an 18th-century painting on wood of the Archangel. The apse has remains of medieval frescoes showing

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

influence.Tourism Guide of Marsico Nuovo

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michele Arcangelo Marsico Nuovo Gothic architecture in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Marsico Nuovo 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy