Santa Maria Maggiore, Alatri, Romanesque church building in Alatri, Italy
Santa Maria Maggiore is a Romanesque church in Alatri featuring a pointed facade with a central rose window and three ornate portals. The interior divides into a nave and two aisles separated by pillars, with a bell tower added in the late 14th century.
The church was founded in the 5th century on the ruins of a Roman Venus temple and underwent Romanesque and Gothic renovations during the 13th century. These transformations reflect the religious and artistic changes across multiple periods.
The church houses remarkable artworks including a wooden Madonna of Constantinople and a late-Gothic Triptych by Antonio di Alatri. These pieces reflect the artistic evolution across different periods gathered in one space.
The location is easily accessible and sits at the center of Alatri where visitors can find it on foot. Keep in mind it remains an active place of worship, so appropriate dress and behavior are expected.
The original bell tower had a cusp-like top and a statue of St John the Baptist, both destroyed during an earthquake in 1654. These features once defined the church's skyline dramatically.
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