The Church of Saint Matthew the Apostle, located in Piazza degli Eroi in Rocca San Giovanni, is a notable example of medieval religious architecture in the Abruzzo region. Founded in 1076 by Abbot Odorisio I, the current structure dates back to the 13th century and was inspired, in a smaller scale, by the abbey of San Giovanni in Venere. The church features a three-nave layout, with pointed arches supported by variously shaped pillars (rectangular, cylindrical, and cruciform), and a wooden trussed roof now visible after the removal of modern vaults.
The church interior houses a 19th-century wooden statue of Our Lady of Graces, a 14th-century Byzantine-style painting of the Madonna and Child, and a fresco of the Last Supper by Amedeo Trivisonno. The detached bell tower, dating from the 13th century, is the only surviving one of the town’s three historic towers, also depicted in the municipal coat of arms. Alongside the Town Hall, the church remains the spiritual and civic centerpiece of Rocca San Giovanni’s main square.
- Address
Piazza degli Eroi, 14, Rocca San Giovanni, Italy - Web
None - Visiting Hours
Unknown - What to see
Painting of Madonna and Child
