Church of Sant'Ercolano (Ussita)

History of the Church of Sant'Ercolano

The church was built in the Romanesque style in the 13th century. It was one of the churches dependent on the Abbey of Sant'Eutizio in Preci. The "Liber Censuorum" required the priest to pay the abbot one pound of pepper and half an ounce of saffron every year.

In 1953, on the initiative of the parish priest of Pieve and with contributions from local residents, the church was restored. Today it is a subsidiary church of the parish of Santa Maria Assunta in Ussita, in Pieve, in the diocese of Camerino–San Severino Marche.

What to see in the Church of Sant'Ercolano

Outside, note the stone portal and the apse. Inside, on the left wall, a fresco shows Saint Christopher, Saint Herculanus (Sant'Ercolano) and Saint Anthony Abbot. On the right wall are the Translation of the Holy House of Loreto and Saint Francis turned toward the Crucifix. In the presbytery is a late 16th-century Madonna and Child by Ascanio Poggini da Mevale.

How to visit the Church of Sant'Ercolano

The church suffered earthquake damage between 2016 and 2018. Before traveling to Tempori, it is best to ask the Comune (town hall) of Ussita whether it is possible to go inside. Even if the interior is not accessible, the village can be visited and the exterior can be seen from the road.

Where the Church of Sant'Ercolano is

The church stands in Tempori, a hamlet of the municipality of Ussita, not far from the center of the town. It is near the Church of Madonna Immacolata.

Around the Church of Sant'Ercolano

Ussita has other churches of medieval origin. Among them is the church of Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio, in the hamlet of Casali. Another is the Church of Santi Rocco e Sebastiano in Ussita. A walking route around Ussita passes right by the Church of Sant'Ercolano. In Tempori there is a viewpoint over the Ussita valley, near the village's wooden sign. For other places of worship in the area, see the page about the churches of the Sibillini Mountains.