Collegiate Church of San Martino in Caldarola

History of the Collegiate Church of San Martino

The church grew out of the urban plan of Cardinal Evangelista Pallotta, born in Caldarola, who transformed the town at the end of the 16th century. To create the space for the new square, the ground sloping down toward the river was filled in. The church, the bell tower and Palazzo Pallotta were built here. The design is attributed to the architect Geronimo Cassini.

Work began in 1587. The chronicler Barlesi reports that the cardinal bought a hill to have plenty of travertine, but the stone did not withstand the frost. With the bull of August 1, 1590, Pope Sixtus V raised the parish to a collegiate church, endowing it with 6 canons and 2 beneficed clerics. The pope's coat of arms is still on the facade, next to that of Pallotta.

What to see in the Collegiate Church of San Martino in Caldarola

The interior has three naves, with a choir and side chapels. On the high altar, between two fluted columns that legend says came from the Temple of Jerusalem, is the Mass of Saint Martin (or Transit of Saint Martin), painted by Simone De Magistris in 1590. Cardinal Pallotta appears at lower right. The altarpiece was rescued by firefighters in 2016, on the day of the patron saint's feast.

In the right nave, the last chapel holds the Madonna del Carmelo (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) by Giovanni Andrea De Magistris, dated 1537. In the sacristy is the canvas by Durante Nobili with the Madonna in Glory and Saints Cosmas and Damian, signed and dated 1535. The chapel of the Most Holy Sacrament holds a gilded wooden tabernacle from 1595. The organ dates from 1870, the work of the Santilli family of Caldarola. The 1799 earthquake, on the other hand, destroyed the other paintings and the stucco work of the presbytery.

Visiting the Collegiate Church of San Martino

The church has been temporarily closed since the 2016 earthquake. Reconstruction is the responsibility of the curia: by the end of September 2026 the designers had been appointed, but the project had not yet been submitted. Before setting out, it is best to ask the Comune di Caldarola about the state of the work. Meanwhile, from the square, the two-tier facade, with pilasters and niches now empty, and the bell tower can be admired.

Where the Collegiate Church of San Martino is located

The collegiate church stands on the east side of Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, in the center of Caldarola, about 25 km southwest of Macerata. Together with the nearby Palazzo Pallotta it forms a single complex. Almost opposite is the sanctuary of Santa Maria del Monte.

Around the Collegiate Church of San Martino

The palace of the Pallotta cardinals, seat of the Comune (town hall), also faces the square. Damaged by the 2016 earthquake, the palace is awaiting restoration: the project was approved in January 2026. On the hill above the town is the Pallotta Castle in Caldarola, linked to the square by a footpath. Not far away is the Church of Santi Gregorio e Valentino, commissioned by the cardinal and his brother Martino at the beginning of the 17th century. Other churches in the area are listed on the page about the churches of the Sibillini Mountains.