Church of San Giusto in San Maroto (Valfornace)

History of the Church of San Giusto in San Maroto

The church was founded between the 11th and 12th centuries. There are no documents on its foundation, so its date and origin have long been debated by scholars. One hypothesis points to builders who came from Syria. Another suggests the conversion of a hunting lodge, also used as an astronomical observatory, said to have been commissioned by Charlemagne. The church once stood inside the castle of the feudal lords of San Maroto.

The bell tower and the sacristy were added later. The 2016 earthquake damaged the building. Restoration and repair work followed. The reopening to the public in 2019 was celebrated with a solemn Mass.

What to see in the Church of San Giusto in San Maroto

The architecture is the main attraction. A cylinder is surrounded by four radiating apses and closed by the dome. The interior has a central plan with no ring-shaped ambulatory. The shape, partly hidden on the outside by the bell tower and the sacristy, is an isolated case in the religious architecture of Le Marche.

In the ground-floor room of the bell tower, votive frescoes from the late 14th century remain, including a face of the Virgin with the Child and a saint. The works kept here include a panel with the Madonna del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary), attributed to Venanzo da Camerino, and a Madonna Enthroned with Child from the second half of the 13th century. There is also a processional cross by the goldsmith Tobia da Camerino, from the first half of the 16th century.

How to visit the Church of San Giusto in San Maroto

After the repair work the church can be visited again, but opening arrangements may vary. It is advisable to plan the visit in advance by contacting the references given in the box on this page, to be sure of finding it open.

Where the Church of San Giusto in San Maroto is located

The church is in the hamlet of San Maroto, in the municipality of Valfornace. The hamlet was once part of the territory of Pievebovigliana, in the province of Macerata. The village stands on a rocky height above the middle Chienti valley. The church is on a modest terrace at the northern edge of the village. From the meadow around it, the view reaches Lago di Polverina and the Sibillini Mountains.

Around the Chiesa di San Giusto in Valfornace

Not far away, on top of Colle Castello, are the remains of the castle of the counts of San Maroto. A short distance away, in the territory of Valfornace, are the church of Santa Croce at Valdiea and that of San Lorenzo at Polverina. Other churches in the municipality are the Church of Rosario in Valfornace and the Church of Santissimo Crocifisso in Valfornace. For a wider overview, see the page on the churches of the Sibillini Mountains.