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The restoration work
following the 1979 earthquake revealed that this tiny square room,
located on the upper floor of the Castellina near the south tower, was
entirely frescoed except for the ceiling, which had probably also been
painted originally. Various structural and decorative clues indicate
that it had been frescoed and partly transformed in two successive
moments in the latter half of the 16th cent.
The Sacra Conversazione,
of which only a foreground remains above the small door opening into the
tower, is from the first stage (ca 1560-1570), while the rest of the
decoration is probably from the 1580-90s. There are the coats of arms of
governors and prefects who resided in the Castellina; some were added in
tempera in the 18th century.
The splays of the windows
are painted with St. Benedict, St. Scholastica and the coat of arms of
Pietro Orsini, bishop of Spoleto, the diocese of which included Norcia.
The painted plaque above
contains the remains of an inscription that seems to refer to the two
saints from Nursia. Marbleized panels below conclude this remarkable
decorated room, ascribable to the most mature period of the late
Renaissance.
It is credited to local
painters (Agostino Carducci?) who carried on old family traditions while
attempting to keep updated with the latest developments. |
Sito Ufficiale
(Italiano)
Official Site
(English)
