Church of San Bartolomeo

History of the Church of San Bartolomeo in Ascoli Piceno

In 1474 the parish church of San Bartolomeo was built for the people of Piagge. The building was owned by the Sgariglia, a noble Ascoli family, as the coat of arms on the portal recalls.

Before then, the village's faithful went to the Hermitage of San Marco in Ascoli Piceno, a hermitage. In 1410 the Sgariglia had turned it into a church for the people of Piagge. After San Bartolomeo was built, the hermitage began a slow decline.

What to see in the Church of San Bartolomeo

The church has a rectangular plan and a single nave, with a gabled roof. The bell tower has a hipped roof with a small cross on top.

The most distinctive feature is the portal, with late Gothic lines. It is topped by a massive architrave resting on two corbels with downturned leaves and small diamond points. In the center of the architrave is the Sgariglia coat of arms.

How to visit the Church of San Bartolomeo

San Bartolomeo is a parish church: Piagge has its own parish dedicated to the saint. To find out when and how it can be visited, it is best to ask the parish in advance. A visit combines well with the other places in Piagge, described below.

Where the Church of San Bartolomeo is

The church stands in Piagge, a hamlet of the municipality of Ascoli Piceno. The village lies at an elevation of 475 m, on the northern side of Colle San Marco. It is 6.16 km from Ascoli Piceno and is reached by the road that leaves the city from Porta Cartara. Within the village, the building stands above the houses, just below the cemetery.

Near the Church of San Bartolomeo in Ascoli Piceno

In and around Piagge there are other places linked to the religious history of the area:

• The Eremo di San Marco is a Cistercian hermitage in travertine, dating from the early 13th century.
• The convent of San Lorenzo alla Piagge was founded by the Benedictines in 750. What remains today is the travertine millstone, a basin carved into the stone, the water cistern and traces of the walls.
• The cave of Beato Corrado is carved into the rock, with a cross engraved on one wall. It is in the woods, not far from the convent of San Lorenzo. Blessed Corrado Miliani dei Conti Saladini died there in 1289.

For other destinations in the city, see the page things to do in Ascoli Piceno.