Collegiata di Santa Maria, church in Visso, Italy
The Collegiata di Santa Maria is the main church of Visso, in the Marche. Its southern side faces the central piazza and serves as the main entrance, with a Romanesque portal whose lunette holds Paolo da Visso's 1444 Annunciation fresco. On the north side stands a Gothic-Umbrian bell tower with bifore and trifore windows and an octagonal ogival spire. Inside is a single nave with 14th-century frescoes, including a Saint Christopher over seven metres tall.
A Romanesque parish church was built here in 1143. It was reworked over the following two centuries and in 1256 took its present Gothic form with Umbrian influence. In 1517 it was elevated to collegiate church and further modified, especially inside.
The church is named after the Virgin Mary and anchors the center of Visso with its Gothic style. It has served the local community as a religious and cultural focal point for centuries.
The main entrance is on the southern side, facing Visso's central square, so the church is reached on foot from the town centre. The interior is a single nave, with the organ on the left wall and the Romanesque Baptistery Chapel preserving 12th-century pieces. The bell tower rises on the northern side.
In the Romanesque Baptistery Chapel, stone capitals, reliefs, a holy water stoup and a baptismal font from the 12th-century parish church are displayed. The chapel also holds the sarcophagi of Blessed Niccolò Siciliano and Meo da Visso. A legend claims one of the 30 pieces of silver given to Judas is kept in the sacristy.
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