San Pellegrino (Norcia)

History of San Pellegrino and its church

The building bore the marks of renovations from the 16th to the 19th century. The 16th-century entrance door opened on the long side, between the 18th-century facade (reworked in the 19th century) and the bell tower. A 14th-century bell signed "Magister Vivencius fecit" hung in the bell tower.

The earthquake of August 24, 2016 left the church badly damaged and unsafe. The Soprintendenza (heritage authority), firefighters and the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Command recovered 48 works from the rubble, including sculptures, paintings and liturgical objects.

What to see at San Pellegrino

Today only the ruins of the church can be seen. The interior as it was before the earthquake is documented by a description: three naves on masonry pillars and a coffered wooden ceiling, the result of the 18th-century renovation of a 17th-century single-nave hall. Details included a holy water font from 1567, an organ by Ferdinando Fedeli of Foligno (1831) and a rare 13th-century capital with four human faces at the corners.

How to visit San Pellegrino

The church cannot be visited. The village is also under reconstruction: in August 2025, 11 out of 42 building clusters had submitted projects. Before setting out, it is worth asking the town of Norcia about access to the village.

The ruins are also passed along a walking route. The Norcia–Nottoria route, described in the CAI project "Ripartiamo dai sentieri", includes the church of San Pellegrino (ruins) among its points of interest. Signage is partial and accessibility for people with disabilities is inadequate.

Where San Pellegrino is located

San Pellegrino is a hamlet of the municipality of Norcia, in the province of Perugia. It is a few kilometers from the main town. It belongs to the diocese of Spoleto-Norcia.

Around San Pellegrino near Norcia

Below the village, in open countryside, stands the church of Santa Giuliana, once served by the monks of San Benedetto. It has two Romanesque single-light windows on its left side and a small 16th-century bell gable.

The Norcia–Nottoria route also passes the ruins of the Madonna delle Grazie, the springs of the Torbidone and the Nottoria oak. In Norcia it is possible to visit the Basilica of San Benedetto in Norcia, on which the parish church of San Pellegrino depended. Other religious sites in the area are on the page churches of the Sibillini Mountains.