Church of San Biagio (Valfornace)

History of the Church of San Biagio in Valfornace

In the earliest 13th-century documents the church is recorded as dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo (Saint Michael the Archangel). By the 15th century, however, it already bore the name of San Biagio. The medieval building dates from the 14th century. In the 17th century it was rebuilt, and of the original construction only the apse with its frescoes survived. The church of Taro was never given a baptismal font.

What to see in the Church of San Biagio in Valfornace

The most important piece is the 15th-century apse fresco, attributed to the Maestro di Arnano. It depicts the Crucifixion of Christ with Saint James, Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint John the Evangelist and the Madonna del Cardellino (Madonna of the Goldfinch).

Next to the altar is a canvas with the Madonna giving the Rosary to Saint Dominic, surrounded by the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. On the opposite wall is another fresco.

Visiting the Church of San Biagio in Valfornace

The church is in the center of Taro, a rural village, so the visit is made on foot once in the village. The church is temporarily closed because of damage caused by the 2016 earthquake. Before setting out, it is therefore best to check whether it has reopened. The phone number of the Comune is in the box on this page.

Where the Church of San Biagio in Valfornace is located

The Church of San Biagio is in Taro, in the Fiordimonte area, in the municipality of Valfornace, in the province of Macerata. The municipality was created on January 1, 2017 from the merger of Fiordimonte and Pievebovigliana, which is its seat. Part of the municipal territory lies within the National Park of the Sibillini Mountains.

Around the Church of San Biagio in Valfornace

In the Fiordimonte area is the rural village that grew up at the foot of the castle of Cornacuna, of which a stretch of wall and a portal remain. Here too is the Chiesa di Sant'Antonio, with frescoes by Girolamo di Giovanni. Other churches in the area include Santa Maria Assunta in Nemi, with images by Paolo da Visso from 1447, and San Marco in Alfi, of medieval origin. Since the 2016 earthquake, it is best to check whether these churches are open before visiting.

Other churches in the municipality have their own page: the Church of Rosario in Valfornace and the Church of Santissimo Crocifisso in Valfornace. A broader overview is on the churches of the Sibillini Mountains page.