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The church
of
St. Maria della
Rocca, one of
the most famous
monument of Offida,
rises on a point where
once it was considered
far from the
town.
Initially, it was a
castle of the
Lombard period,
attached by a small
church belonging to
Longino
D'Azzone, an
Offidian gentleman of
French-german
origin.
In
1039 the castle and the
small church were
donated to the abbey of
Farfa and so became in
possession of the
Benedictine monks
evidenced by an
epigraph, in
1330 works were
carried out which
provided the demolition
of the castle and the
construction of a
larger church.
The ancient church was
incorporated inside the
new one, creating
lateral corridors
currently visible in
the crypt, one of which
was used as a burial
from XVI century.
The external
structure, in
brick, is covered by
travertine pilaster in
the apsidal, in the
centre of the major
apse there is the
travertine door of the
crypt, carved with
festoons and
imaginative
animals.
In the surrounding
area there have
been changes during the
years, caused by the
construction and the
demolition (the last in
1999) of houses which
have given a different
aspect to church
view.
Even the lower
crag has undergone
modifications until
this day, characterised
by buttresses added in
1946 to give major
stability.
Inside the
crypt,
extending the entire
area of the higher
level, there are
numerous brick pillars
with capitals that are
smoothed on the
angles which
support a pointed arch
and round arches. There
are frescoes
still conserved,
attributed to the
Maestro of Offida,
depicting the cycles of
St. Caterina of
Alessandria, St.
Lucia and other
different Saints and
Virgins.
The superior
church, or the
aisles church, presents
traces of
frescoes that once
completely covered the
walls.
Well kept are the
apsidal conches
symbolising
prophets, musical
angels and Holy
Virgins, work of
the Milanese master
Ugolino di Vanne.
On the left of the
transept, we can
note the stories of the
life of St. Benedetto;
on the same side of the
nave the
Madonna del Latte with
St. Sebastian, work
by Friar Marino
Angeli.
On the opposite side a deposition, a crucifixion
and a Madonna with an Infant and a Blessed, the only fresco
of the renaissance period, attributed to Vincenzo Pagani.
Recently
the external area of
the church, has
undergone
modifications,
due to the demolition
of some houses, which
prevented a complete
view of the monument;
during the actual
works, on the left side
arriving from Via Roma,
there has been built an
external wall, which
best defines the
surroundings space,
while the street
pavement to the access
of the church dates
back to
2004.
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