Church of Santa Maria di Caspriano in Pieve Torina

History of the Church of Santa Maria di Caspriano

The sanctuary was built around a miraculous image of the Madonna. The site has a longer past than the present building. The area of Caspriano was already strategic in Etruscan and medieval times, because it lay at the junction of three roads. The castle of Caspriano stood here, on a site documented as early as a notarial deed of 1257.

The 1415 fresco shows that an older place of worship existed, over which the church was later built. Even before the 16th-century rebuilding, a church with a rectangular plan stood on the same spot.

What to see in the Church of Santa Maria di Caspriano

The building is inspired by Renaissance architecture and by the model of Macereto. It has a central plan with an inscribed octagon and clean lines. There is no dome, so the church is incomplete by the standards of the period.

Inside is the large 15th-century fresco of the Madonna and Child, in front of which a 17th-century wooden altar was later placed. Next to the church stands a tower of the castle of Caspriano, incorporated into a 19th-century structure.

Visiting the Church of Santa Maria di Caspriano

After the 2016 earthquake, which had left it completely unusable, the church was consolidated and restored and can now be visited by appointment. Before setting off, it is best to book the visit with the Comune (town hall). Even outside visiting hours, the white stone exterior and the castle tower can be seen from the turnoff.

Where the Church of Santa Maria di Caspriano is located

The church is in the municipality of Pieve Torina, in the province of Macerata, in the locality of Caspriano, at the turnoff for Montecavallo. It is a few kilometers from the town center, which lies at 470 m in the Sibillini Mountains National Park.

Around the Church of Santa Maria di Caspriano

In the center of Pieve Torina, the Parish Church of Santa Maria stands out for its bell tower and polygonal apse, which dominate the main square. At the entrance to the town is the former Gothic church of Sant'Agata, which preserves 15th-century frescoes and once had a small pilgrims' hospital attached.

A few kilometers away are the medieval village of Appennino, with its concentric layout, and the Romitorio dei Santi, with a Lombard crypt carved into a cave. For another religious building in the town, see the page on the Church of Santi Cosma e Damiano (Pieve Torina). Other faith itineraries are collected among the churches of the Sibillini Mountains.