|
Close to
the town hall, there is
the church of the Lady
of Sorrows. The
building was carried
out in the XV
century.
The
façade is
characterised by a
porch in which,
leans against the wall,
there are two
elegant 16th century
style stone
windows. Above,
there is evidence of a
rose window dominated
by a tympanum with
scratches in terracotta
and a bell tower.
The interior,
with only one
aisle, presents a
ceiling decorated by
the painter S. Nardi
of Fermo
(1866?-1924).
The central painting,
that of rilievo
painting, represents
"The Lady of Sorrows
surrounded by
saints".
On the apse
merges a gold wooden
altar, overhanging by a
small temple which
preserves the statue
of The Lady of
Sorrows.
Inside the church there is the "
Coffin"(this is how we commonly call the hearse with
baldachin where is the coffin of the Dead Christ is kept) which
is taken in procession on Good Friday.
The procession
is considered to be
tied up to an
ancient
confraternity
medieval
tradition.
The existing
"Coffin" made
its first appearance in
the procession of Good
Friday in 1870 and it
replaced the old
stretcher which was
used from 1819. The
brothers of Jesus and
St. Mary, in 1868, gave
prof. Alcide Allevi the
task of making up a
project and to Mr.
Lorenzo Mancini of
Ascoli Piceno, to take
care of the
decorations. For the
realization of the
embroidery, like it was
transmitted by our
ancestors, there was a
real competition among
the young girls of
Offida who, under the
guidance of Mrs. Aloisa
Donati, helped the
Benedictine nuns in the
delicate work.
Two years
of intense work were
necessary to complete
the work and the amount
spent, £2249,25,
was anticipated by Mrs.
Maria Donati widowed to
Michelangeli, then
refunded by the offers
of the
devotees.
go above
|
