Small Temple of Sant'Emidio alle Grotte (Ascoli Piceno)

History of the Small Temple of Sant'Emidio alle Grotte

The caves were already known in the year 250, connected by tunnels and used by Christians as a necropolis. According to tradition, Emidio was beheaded on August 5, 303 near the bridge of Porta Solestà. From there he is said to have walked all the way here, holding his head in his hands, to be buried. The caves were later turned into an oratory.

The present building is an ex-voto offered by the people of Ascoli for the strong earthquakes of 1703, which caused no victims or serious damage in the city. The first stone was blessed on April 4, 1717 by Bishop Giovanni Gambi, a relative of Pope Clement XI. The works lasted until 1720-21 and were entrusted to Giosafatti, who drew on Pietro da Cortona and on his master Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This is considered his most Berninian work.

Over the centuries the church also went through periods of neglect. Restorations, including the one in 1954, mainly concerned the interior, affected by water seepage and damp. In 2000 the tempietto was included among the "Luoghi dello Spirito" (Places of the Spirit) of the Jubilee routes in the Marche.

What to see in the Small Temple of Sant'Emidio alle Grotte

The travertine facade has two superimposed levels. The lower level, in the Doric order, has at its center a small elliptical dome supported by six columns, with the coat of arms of Bishop Gambi. On the upper level, a circular pediment holds the arms of Clement XI. At the ends, two larger-than-life angels hold a palm branch, a symbol of martyrdom.

Inside, the central cave is divided by pillars into three small aisles with brick cross vaults. At the back the space has been left intact, to show the burial niches and graves where Emidio and his disciples were laid to rest. Behind the single altar is the travertine statue of Sant'Emidio, carved and signed by Giosafatti. In 1943 a tunnel was also opened leading to a cave with a small cemetery and an arcosolium.

How to visit the Small Temple of Sant'Emidio alle Grotte

Visits are by appointment, to be arranged reasonably in advance. To enter, ring the bell of the office opposite the tempietto and a guide accompanies visitors inside. Up-to-date contact details are in the box on this page.

During the patron saint's feast on August 5, celebrations may take place on site.

Where the Small Temple of Sant'Emidio alle Grotte is

The tempietto stands in Ascoli Piceno, just outside the center, in the northern area, at the foot of the campo Parignano hill. It is opposite the former church of Sant'Ilario.

Around the Small Temple of Sant'Emidio alle Grotte

The Small Temple of Sant'Emidio Rosso is an octagonal 17th-century building, erected where the saint was beheaded. The stone of the beheading is still kept under the altar. The remains of Emidio were later moved to the crypt of the Cathedral of Sant'Emidio in Ascoli Piceno. For other stops in the city, the list is on the page about things to do in Ascoli Piceno.