Church of San Marco in Colpolina (Fiastra)

History of the Church of San Marco in Colpolina

The church was built in the 11th century, at the center of the castle, with a sturdy Romanesque structure. It has Benedictine origins and is recognized as a pieve, a mother church. It was once the only pieve of the whole valley. The baptismal font was found only here, and the churches of the area that depended on it owed it a tribute. It was also the parish church of the hamlet of Collevecchio.

For this reason the church was wealthy and important: many smaller churches depended on it.

What to see in the Church of San Marco in Colpolina

Outside, the eye is drawn to the Romanesque portal in white limestone, datable to the 11th-12th century. The building has three apses. Inside, the altar is raised above the floor reserved for the faithful.

The most interesting feature is the crypt, an underground (hypogeal) one. Small columns in pink stone and capitals in white stone lead into side burial chambers. The vaults are cross vaults and the arches are round. The capitals are the most curious elements, for their variety and decorative imagination. Among the works kept here is a terracotta Madonna and Child.

Visiting the Church of San Marco in Colpolina

The church is among the artistic heritage sites of Fiastra damaged by the earthquake and has been declared unsafe. Before setting out, it is advisable to ask the Comune di Fiastra (the town hall) about access conditions. A visit to this spot is still worthwhile for the view.

Where the Church of San Marco in Colpolina is located

The church is in Fiastra, in the hamlet of San Marco, along via San Marco. It stands on the hills to the left of the road climbing toward Fiastra, on the watershed between the Chienti and the Fiastrone.

Around the Church of San Marco in Colpolina

Fiastra is best known for its artificial lake, held back by a dam on the Fiastrone that is 86 meters high and 360 long. Within the municipality there are other places linked to the religious history of the valley: the Grotta dei Frati (a cave once used by friars), the Santuario del Beato Ugolino in the hamlet of Fiegni, and the church of San Paolo. Together with San Marco, these churches are stops along the paths of faith that saints and pilgrims traced through the Park.

Other places of worship in the area are collected on the page about churches in the Sibillini Mountains. Another church in Fiastra is that of the Santissimo Crocifisso.