A hidden medieval masterpiece in Abruzzo

14 Apr

By Kathleen Olive

So many of Italy’s great medieval masterpieces require no introduction: Giotto’s frescoes for the Scrovegni Chapel, for example, or the Arab-Norman mosaics of Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù. And yet Italy is also full of unsung artworks of the highest quality – you just need to go a little bit off the well-trodden tourist track.

This is particularly the case for the mountainous region of Abruzzo. It’s been somewhat overlooked by international travellers to Italy, but Italians know that the majestic peaks of the Gran Sasso, wild landscape of the Majella, and long beaches of the Adriatic coastline are well worth a winter ski trip or summer holiday. Abruzzo was a focus of early Roman conquest and rebuilding, and of the medieval power struggles between pope and emperor, so you’ll also find fascinating archaeological sites, evocative medieval buildings, and breathtaking works of art.

I’d be surprised if many people reading this article had heard of Bominaco in Abruzzo, to take just one example. It’s a small village, remote, in a place of extraordinary natural beauty – perfect for retreating from the cares and snares of the world. Abruzzo is full of villages like this, and they drew communities of monks and nuns seeking to defend their lives of spiritual retreat. On the site of the martyrdom of a fourth-century local, Pellegrino, a community of Benedictines constructed a church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin some time in the twelfth century. In the strong, spare style of the Romanesque, it was later accompanied with a small oratory dedicated to prayer, built after 1263 by an abbot from the religious community here.

The Oratory of San Pellegrino is small – under 19m long – and simply constructed from local stone. There are few openings in the walls, although a small rose window allows some light inside. It illuminates one of the most well-preserved medieval fresco cycles in central Italy, an encyclopedia of the faith that encompasses the life of Christ, Last Judgement, stories of San Pellegrino and a cycle of the months. At least three artists worked on the paintings, which cover every part of the oratory’s interior walls, and the rich range of colours – blues, reds, greens – indicates their connections with urban centres in Italy and beyond. Together with similar works in nearby Santa Maria ad Cryptas, these unknown gems are one of the highlights of our Along the Apennines tour.

Limelight Arts Travel’s Along the Apennines tour is a regular feature in our program and our 2024 itinerary is now on sale. Read more or reserve your place on the tour here.

EXPLORE ITALY with Dr Kathleen Olive

WINTER IN TUSCANY

09 - 22 January 2024

Explore the best of Tuscany’s medieval and Renaissance art and architecture, on this two-week long-stay tour timed to take advantage of off-season travel.

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