Church of San Pietro ad Oratorium – Capestrano

Description

The medieval Romanesque Church of San Pietro ad Oratorium rises in the open countryside near Capestrano (AQ), by the River Tirino. An inscription on the portal architrave details the events linked to the establishment of the ancient church and its reconstruction. The church’s foundation is attributed to the Lombard King Desiderius (a rege desiderio fundata). The building was entirely rebuilt towards the end of the 12^th century, also documented in the inscription (milleno centeno renovata). The church has three naves with apses. The interior is divided into three parts with round arches. The nave is illuminated by arrow slit windows, carved above the arches at the same height as the three apses. The pillar capitals, decorated with patterns inspired by nature and archaic symbols, are particularly impressive. There are traces of a fresco cycle dating to the early 1100s, showing Christ with the angels and the 24 Elders. To the left of the portal, an inscription has been interred into the facade, the enigmatic Magical Square: "sator arepo tenet opera rotas". Dating to the 12^th century like the architrave, the inscription is laid out on 5 lines so that it reads the same way from any direction.

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