San Flaviano, Montefiascone, Romanesque minor basilica near Via Francigena, Montefiascone, Italy
San Flaviano is a minor basilica in Montefiascone, built in the First Romanesque style, and it is organized across two stacked church levels. The lower level is divided into three naves by columns carved with animal and plant motifs, while the stone facade opens with three arches of different sizes topped by a Renaissance loggia.
The lower church was built in the 11th century over earlier foundations and dedicated to Flavian, an early Christian martyr of Byzantine origin from the area around Rome. Over time, an upper church was added above it, which gave the building its current two-level form.
The interior walls carry medieval frescoes showing a 12th-century Christ Pantocrator alongside Saint Flavian depicted as a mounted warrior, which is an unusual image for a saint. These paintings are still visible today and give a clear sense of how religious art was used in this part of central Italy.
Both levels of the church are open to visitors, though the lower level has narrow passages between the columns that can feel tight in places. A weekday visit tends to be quieter, as the church may be in use for services at weekends.
The crypt holds the tomb of Johannes Fugger, a German merchant whose epitaph alludes to the local wine as the reason for his prolonged stay in Montefiascone. This inscription is considered one of the earliest written references to the wine of this area.
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