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Church of Santissimo Salvatore (Arquata del Tronto)

Church of Santissimo Salvatore (Arquata del Tronto)

Type
Church
Municipality
Arquata del Tronto (AP)

Source: site database, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

The Church of Santissimo Salvatore (Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore) in Arquata del Tronto stands on a plateau below the village of Arquata del Tronto. The plateau is called "SS. Salvatore" precisely because of the church. It overlooks the new route of the Via Salaria road. Since the 2016 earthquake the church can no longer be used: only the ruins remain, awaiting reconstruction.

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On the map

Points from the site database. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors · Protomaps.

History of the Church of Santissimo Salvatore

The old church was dedicated to Santa Maria della Pieve. In the 17th century it took the name San Salvatore. The building collapsed because of erosion by the Tronto river and the 1915 earthquake. It was then rebuilt in Lombard style, with a single nave and a half-octagonal apse.

The site is linked to ancient roads. It lies in a central position between Arquata, Borgo and Trisungo and was a road junction at the point where the consular road entered the Marche region. Historians place the Roman statio (way station) of Surpicanum on the plain, although no archaeological finds confirm it. The historian Enrico Giorgi also suggests a medieval hospice linked to the abbey of Farfa. Since 1986 the parish of the Santissimo Salvatore of Arquata has taken over from that of Santi Pietro e Paolo in Borgo.

What to see at the Church of Santissimo Salvatore

Today it is mainly the ruins that can be seen. In 2025 a stone element, perhaps a capital or a column base, resurfaced among the brambles and ruins. It was found by volunteers of Arquata Potest while clearing the trail, and it measures about 35x35x30 cm. Next to the church is an old farmhouse in ruins whose architecture recalls a tower house.

The 13th-century wooden crucifix, dedicated to the Santissimo Salvatore, patron of Arquata, and kept in the Church of Santissima Annunziata, was moved for safety after the earthquake to the Cathedral of Sant'Emidio in Ascoli Piceno. In January 2020 it returned to Arquata, to the church of San Salvatore built in the SAE village (temporary emergency housing) of Borgo.

Visiting the Church of Santissimo Salvatore

The interior cannot be visited. The church was about to complete its restoration when the earthquake of August 24, 2016 badly damaged it. In August 2025 the recovery project was recognized as urgent. It is worth 1.4 million euros and includes repair, structural consolidation and seismic upgrading.

The Arquata Potest association has restored the trail leading to the church. From Borgo the path reaches the fosso della Camartina (a stream gully) and continues to the ruins. Before setting out, it is best to check the condition of the site.

Where the Church of Santissimo Salvatore is located

The church lies between the main village and the hamlet of Borgo, near the Salaria road, and can also be reached from Trisungo. The village of Arquata del Tronto is about 30 km from Ascoli Piceno and about 30 km from Norcia.

Around the Church of Santissimo Salvatore

In Borgo are the church of San Francesco and a small 13th-century monastery. San Francesco holds an original fragment of the Holy Shroud. It was badly damaged by the earthquake, and in October 2026 the restoration project was approved. Further on is Porta Sant'Agata, where tolls were once paid. The village also has the medieval fortress overlooking the town. Another church in the area is that of Santi Pietro e Paolo in Arquata del Tronto. Other religious buildings are on the churches of the Sibillini Mountains page.

Frequently asked questions

Can the Church of Santissimo Salvatore in Arquata del Tronto be visited?

No, the interior cannot be visited. The church was badly damaged by the 2016 earthquake and only the ruins remain. In August 2025 a 1.4 million euro project to repair and consolidate it was recognized as urgent. The area can be reached on foot, but it is best to check the condition of the trail first.

What was the Church of Santissimo Salvatore called before?

The old church was dedicated to Santa Maria della Pieve. In the 17th century the name became San Salvatore. This is why it is also called the church of San Salvatore, formerly Santa Maria della Pieve.

Where is the wooden crucifix of the Santissimo Salvatore?

After the earthquake the 13th-century crucifix was moved to the Cattedrale di Sant'Emidio in Ascoli Piceno and later returned to Arquata. It is now in the church of San Salvatore built in the SAE village of Borgo, not in the old Church of Santissimo Salvatore, which remains in ruins.

Nearby

Straight-line distances.