Santa Maria della Lode

Santa Maria della Lode is a Romanesque church in Torri in Sabina featuring a gabled facade and a bell tower on the right side. The stone exterior displays the simple, sturdy style common to medieval churches in this part of central Italy.

The church was built in the eighth century over the Roman settlement of Forum Novum and served as the Cathedral of the Sabine people until 1495. This long role shows how the building remained central to religious life across many centuries.

The interior walls display frescoes from the 13th and 14th centuries that illustrate biblical narratives and the Last Judgment through Roman artistic styles.

The church sits between Torri in Sabina and Stimigliano and is easily reached from the road. The grounds also include a restaurant and bar housed in the former cloister, where visitors can rest and have a meal.

Beneath the main church sits a semi-annular crypt from the eleventh century dedicated to three local martyrs of the region. This hidden sacred space reveals how important these saints were to the community.