Church of San Vito (Norcia)

History of the Church of San Vito in Norcia

The first documents on the place of worship date back to around 1000. In that period the church and the surrounding land became the property of the Abbey of Farfa, in the province of Rieti. San Vito was the church of a medieval monastic cell, a link that also runs through the Abbey of Sant'Eutizio.

Very little remains of the ancient building. The church, by then badly neglected, was completely rebuilt in the 17th century. The portal is dated 1656. An inscription carved on the pediment describes it as the parish church of San Vito, with the date 1686.

At the base of the bell tower, a plaque recalls the earthquake of 1703. That earthquake devastated Norcia and Cascia but spared Agriano, which credited its escape to San Ponziano.

What to see in the Church of San Vito

Outside, the white stone and the plain, linear plastered facade stand out, with the 17th-century portal. The bell tower is battered, with its walls slightly sloping to better withstand earthquakes.

The interior has a single nave. The flat ceiling is painted with architectural perspectives and in the center shows the Assumption with Saints Nicholas and Vitus. The seven Baroque wooden altars hold works by Roman painters of the period. On two altars on the left are a Crucifixion with mourners and a Madonna and Child with Saints Francis and Anthony of Padua, both assigned to Giacomo Brandi. Next to the entrance is a 16th-century baptismal font topped by a small wooden temple. On the wall hangs a large canvas of the Ecstasy of Saint Philip Neri. A Glory of Paradise by Stefano Pozzi is also mentioned among the works.

Visiting the Church of San Vito in Norcia

The 2016 earthquake caused the facade to topple and damaged the roof, bell chamber, apse and paintings. On September 26, 2024 the seismic improvement and restoration project was approved. It provides for consolidating the walls and facade, rebuilding the roof and work on the bell tower. During the works, protection is planned for the Roman finds and the holy water font.

Before going, it is advisable to ask the Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia or the Comune di Norcia (the town hall) about the state of the works and the possibility of going inside.

Where the Church of San Vito is located

The church is in Agriano, in the municipality of Norcia, at the edge of the village. It is reached along the Norcia–Avendita–Cascia road, beside which it stands on its own.

Around the Church of San Vito

Agriano also has the smaller church of San Giovanni, reopened for worship. Some works kept in San Vito have been moved there, including an image of the Mater Amabilis blessed by Pope Leo XIII on August 19, 1886.

In Norcia, the Basilica of San Benedetto in Norcia was given back to the faithful in October 2025, nine years after its collapse. Other churches of the area are on the page dedicated to churches in the Sibillini Mountains.