Church of San Michele Arcangelo – San Vittorino

Description

The Church of San Michele Arcangelo in San Vittorino, a hamlet in L’Aquila, conserves traces of history moving backwards from the Middle Ages through Early Christianity to late Antiquity. The outer building, simple and unadorned, hides the long history of its establishment linked to the bishop Vittorino, martyred near Rieti during Trajan’s rule. Although the present building is from a later era, it reproduces the shape and holds traces of the Late Medieval church and numerous sculptural fragments that were part of its decoration. Spoglia from the nearby city of Amiternum, is also visible. Inside there are traces of a 13^th century fresco. Worshippers from the Late Middle Ages onwards have left graffiti on the plaster. The area known as the “old church” provides access to the catacomb where the tomb of the martyr has been monumentalised as a 5^th century altar, and chamber tombs have been hewn out of the rock alongside others of a more regular shape which are lined in brick. A corridor with 14^th and 15^th century decorations opens out at the southern end of the gallery and leads to a 16th century space that links to the upper level.

Position on map