Santa Pudenziana, Medieval church in Narni, Italy
Santa Pudenziana is a small church in Visciano, a hamlet of Narni. Its tall bell tower was raised on the remains of a 7th–8th-century tower. The interior has a nave and side aisles, with walls and pillars painted with votive Umbrian frescoes of the 13th and 15th centuries, and a small wooden statue of Mary in the side aisle.
The Benedictine monk Eroli attributes the church's construction to the 9th century, while Castelfranco, who restored it in 1929 for engineer Alfredo Tiburzi, dates it to the 11th century based on decorative and structural motifs from the nearby Benedictine monastery of Sant'Angelo in Massa (1000–1036). Initially dedicated to the Madonna, it later also housed the cult of the Roman martyr Saint Pudenziana, whose name may be linked to the Pudente family, owners of brick kilns in the Narni area.
The church celebrates Saint Pudenziana every May 19th, maintaining a strong connection to its patron saint through religious ceremonies and local traditions.
The church can be reached by walking a one-kilometer trail from Via Tiberina to Visciano village. Parking is available at the destination, making it easy to visit.
The tall bell tower was raised on the remains of an earlier tower dated to the 7th–8th century AD, so the church's oldest masonry predates the building itself. A plaque above the entrance records the 1929 restoration by engineer Alfredo Tiburzi, who removed later additions from the facade.
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