Cervaro. Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

The church of Santa Maria Maggiore was the first one of Cervaro that subsequently had two main churches: Santa Maria Maggiore and San Paolo.

The church dates from the twelfth century but has undergone several transformations and appears now as mainly Baroque.

The church is incorporated with other buildings that were part of the complex of the ancient castle.

The front is covered with square stones up to a gable decorated with stucco and the entrance features a bifurcated staircase, protected by walls and an artistic wrought iron balustrade.

On the wall of the side entrance is the date of a restoration, 1742, and an inscription carved in stone: 'Lapis testimoniis'. This was the place where in the Middle Ages offenders were invited to confession, before undergoing their sentence. The bell tower has four levels and ends with a spire with a clock.

Inside, the dome in conformity with the altar has bas-reliefs depicting the four cardinal virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance.

Among the works of an art are a wooden crucifix of 1600, mlticoloured marble baroque altar, the balustrade of the presbytery, the multicoloured marble floors, an intricately carved choir and an original pulpit.

The church also has valuable paintings of the eighteenth century and a wooden statue of St. Sebastian from 1500s.

The bell tower has four elevations and ends with a spire with a clock.
 


Written by:
Benedicta Lee

Born in Rome from an Italian mother and American father, she works as a freelance communications manager and designer in the tourism sector, a career and interest which she is pursuing with a...

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