San Michele Arcangelo is the
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 lette ...
church in town of
Montasola
Montasola is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Latium, located about northeast of Rome and about west of Rieti.
Montasola borders the following municipalities: Casperia, Contigliano, Cottanello, Torri ...
, in the
province of Rieti
The Province of Rieti ( it, Provincia di Rieti) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rieti. Established in 1927, it has an area of with a total population of 157,887 people as of 2017. There are 73 ''comuni'' ...
, region of
Lazio
it, Laziale
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, Italy. It is adjacent to the oratory of ''Opera Pia Cimini''.
History
A church at the site was likely present from early medieval times, and during some decades of the 20th-century, it shared parish functions with
Santi Pietro e Tommaso. It was however for many years in ruins. Restoration took place in the 19th century, under local patronage of persons emigrating from the town. The interior has a single nave and has an original pavement. The church has three altars. The main altarpiece depicts the Virgin. On the right, the altar is dedicated to St Anne, while on the left to Mary Magdalen. The marble holy water font is ancient, and has
Romanesque artwork.
The adjacent
baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
oratory was endowed in 1712 by Francesco Cimini, and was once attached to a hospital. It is said that Cimini discovered by chance a treasure of gold in his bakery in Rome, and this allowed him to endow this oratory. The interior is rich in polychrome marble and has a painting depicting the ''Holy Conception'' attributed to the school of
Antonio Gherardi
Antonio Gherardi (''Il Reatino'') (20 September 1638 – 10 May 1702) was an Italian painter, architect, and sculptor (stuccoist) of the Baroque style, active mainly in and near Rome and his native city of Rieti.
Life
Antonio was born in Riet ...
. The wooden cruxifix is of high quality. The marble putti of the balustrade are attributed to followers of
Bernini
Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...
. The balustrade was derived from the church of
Santa Maria Murella.
Comune of Montasola
short description of Monuments.
References
Roman Catholic churches in Lazio
Churches in the province of Rieti
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