Collegiate church Santa Maria Maggiore, Religious monument in Spello, Italy
The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is a Romanesque church in the center of Spello, in Umbria, with a 17th-century facade and a cross-vaulted interior. Seven side altars line the nave, decorated with stucco ornaments, and several chapels open off the main space.
The church was built between the 11th and 12th centuries, making it one of the oldest religious buildings in Spello. In 1644, it received a new facade that changed its outward appearance considerably.
The Baglioni Chapel contains frescoes by Pinturicchio showing sibyls seated on thrones, an Annunciation scene, and a self-portrait of the painter. The main altar holds a stone ciborium crafted by Rocco di Tommaso.
The church sits on Piazza Matteotti in the center of Spello and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the town. Since it is an active place of worship, visitors are expected to dress modestly and behave respectfully inside.
The floor of the Baglioni Chapel is covered with 16th-century majolica tiles from Deruta, painted with geometric and floral patterns. Most visitors look up at the frescoes and walk past this detail without noticing it.
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