Church of San Savino (Gualdo)

History of the Church of San Savino in Gualdo

It is not known exactly who built the church or when it was consecrated. From its origins the building has been dedicated to San Savino, or Sabino, bishop of Spoleto, whose martyrdom is celebrated on 7 December. He was one of the saints most venerated by the Lombards and is the patron saint of Gualdo.

The current church is the result of a reconstruction between the late 18th and early 19th centuries: the architect Pietro Maggi rebuilt the building that stood on the same site.

What to see in the Church of San Savino

The facade is in brick, plain, flanked by a single bell tower. On the facade is a marble plaque dedicated to the war dead.

Inside, the dome and walls were frescoed by Guglielmo Ciarlantini, with decorative motifs and grotesques. The altarpiece of the high altar, by Antonio Liozzi, shows the Madonna and Child, Saint John the Baptist and San Savino. In the left arm of the transept, an altar holds a Last Supper attributed to Ubaldo Ricci and commissioned by the confraternity of the Santissimo Sacramento (Most Holy Sacrament). The confraternity is based at the church.

Visiting the Church of San Savino in Gualdo

After the 2016 earthquake some churches in Gualdo were badly damaged and all were temporarily closed. The Comune (town hall) lists it as temporarily closed, because it is unsafe after the earthquake: before setting out, it is advisable to check with the parish or the Comune whether it has reopened. A phone number is in the information box on this page.

Other churches of the area are collected on the page dedicated to churches in the Sibillini Mountains.

Where the Church of San Savino is located

The church is in Gualdo, a municipality in the province of Macerata, in the Marche. It stands in the medieval village, surrounded by 14th-century walls and a few towers.

Around the Church of San Savino

In Gualdo the visit can continue with the church of the Madonna delle Grazie, whose facade has a two-tier portico. Beside it stands the Franciscan convent, with a cloister. Outside the village, on the bank of the Tennacola stream, is the 13th-century Mulino Brunforte (Brunforte mill). The Biblioteca Murri (Murri Library) holds over 5,000 volumes that belonged to Romolo Murri.