San Ponziano, Spoleto, Romanesque church building in Spoleto, Italy.
San Ponziano is a Romanesque church on Cinciano Hill, featuring a preserved Romanesque facade and a neoclassical interior redesigned by Giuseppe Valadier in 1788. Below the altar lies a crypt decorated with medieval frescoes and holding a silver reliquary with Saint Ponziano's remains.
The church developed between the 11th and 13th centuries on ground where an early Christian cemetery once stood, with a Benedictine monastery beside it. By the 14th century, the site underwent significant changes in its religious purpose and use.
The crypt holds three ancient stone sarcophagi, including one bearing the name Agipertus, the first recorded Lombard in Spoleto's historical documentation. These burials speak to the early figures venerated at this location.
Access to the crypt beneath the altar allows visitors to view medieval frescoes and relics up close. The location on a hilltop is best reached on foot, making it easy to explore the surrounding area during your visit.
Each January 14th, a procession carries the skull reliquary of Saint Ponziano from the church to Spoleto's cathedral during the patron saint's feast celebration. This annual tradition reveals the deep devotion connected to this place and its venerated saint.
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