San Michele Arcangelo () is a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

-style,

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church located on Via Cavour in the town of Contigliano, in the

province of Rieti The province of Rieti () is a Provinces of Italy, 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 Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...

, Italy.

History

The present church was begun in 1683, dedicated to

St Michael Archangel Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second- ...

, and replacing an older church of the same name. Saint Michael, considered a patron of high places and warriors, was particularly favored by

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

. This church soon gained the title of

Collegiate Church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...

, allowing it to train priests. The consecration of the 1683 church was by the bishop of Rieti Monsignor Ippolito Vicentini (1671-1701). Another reconstruction and reconsecration took place in 1747 by the bishop Antonino Serafino Camarda (1724-1754). The facade presently faces North-East. The interior has rich stucco decoration, including for capitals of the pilasters. At the apse, the walls have polychrome marble and gilded capitals. The main altarpiece depicts ''St Michael Archangel vanquishing Satan'' painted by

Filippo Zucchetti Filippo is an Italian male given name, which is the equivalent of the English name Philip, from the Greek ''Philippos'', meaning "horse lover".''Behind the Name''"Given Name Philip" Retrieved on 23 January 2016. The female variant is Filippa. Th ...

. The main altar is surrounded by wooden choir stalls, completed in the 18th century by Venanzio di Nunzio of

Pescocostanzo Pescocostanzo is a ''comune'' and town of 1038 inhabitants in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is a tourist destination, attracting people from all over Italy due to its landscape and environment. It is part of the Maiell ...

. Among the side altarpieces in chapels are a ''Miracle of St

Vincent Ferrer Vincent Ferrer, Dominican Order, OP ( ; ; ; ; ; ; 23 January 1350 – 5 April 1419) was a Kingdom of Valencia, Valencian Dominican Order, Dominican friar who gained acclaim as a preacher, missionary and logician. After supporting Antipope Benedic ...

'', by

Onofrio Avellino Onofrio Avellino (c. 1674 – 17 April 1741) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. Biography Born in Naples, Giulio died in Ferrara or Rome, where he painted for the last twenty years of his life. He initially trained under Luca Giordano ...

. The background in this painting is a view of the town in 1707. Other paintings include a ''St Jerome in the Desert'' by a follower of

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...

; a ''St Antony of Padua by Pasqualino da Casperia. The church organ dates from the 18th century and was completed in 1748 by Adriano and Ranuzio Fedeli. Chiesa Di Rieti
webpage.

References

Roman Catholic churches in Lazio

Francesco Francesco, the Italian language, Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis (given name), Francis", is one of the List of most popular given names, most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name inclu ...

Churches in the province of Rieti Baroque church buildings in Lazio {{Lazio-RC-church-stub