The church and monastery of Saint Nicholas in Vitorchiano were consecrated in 1533 and were immediately enriched by the relics of S. Martino bishop, S. Lidano bishop and S. Antimo martyr.
The monastery was entrusted for centuries to the Eremitiani di Sant'Agostino until the sale of the building by Napoleon to Mr. Honest of Vitorchiano. The church was then sold to the Poor Clares.
The simple peperino facade, enriched by a circular window and the coat of arms of San Bernardino, does not reveal the magnificence of the frescoes inside.
The interior has a single nave with a wooden roof and has an eighteenth-century gilded stucco altar and a wooden choir loft.
A masterpiece that surprises: the frescoes of the church
The interior of the church contains the treasure of a wonderful cycle of frescoes on three orders that mainly tell the story of the life of Jesus and some biblical passages and which were created by anonymous artists. The Last Judgment is represented in the apse.
The church was dedicated to St. Nicholas but has changed its name in homage to the cycle of frescoes that adorn it and in particular to a 1514 fresco of the Madonna della Misericordia which is located above the altar.
This one of hers appears as she opens her cloak which appears to protect nursing women and babies. This is why the tradition still lives on that brides leave their wedding bouquet here.
Two women can be recognized with joined hands and one of these is a certain Domina Lattaria Burgi from Vitorchiano who had commissioned the painter Mastrugio di Agostino to perform the work. At that time women often commissioned works and had themselves portrayed as a good omen.
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