The Church of Santa Maria Assunta, located in the historic center of Serramonacesca, was built in the 13th century in Romanesque style but underwent major renovations between 1826 and 1843, incorporating materials from the Monastery of San Liberatore. Its imposing stone façade features three portals, a quadrangular bell tower, and a pyramidal spire. The church is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua and the hermit Saint Onofrio. On the right side, there is the Font of Gradasso, also known as the “Bowl of Orlando”, which originally stood at the monastery’s entrance alongside a stone lion, one of the two that once adorned San Liberatore’s doorway.
The three-nave interior is adorned with late Baroque decorations, including gilded ornaments and stucco details. Notable pieces include 18th-century statues of Saint Roch and Saint Anthony Abbot, as well as the statue of Christ the Liberator, honored on September 14th with religious and civil celebrations. The church also houses the painting “Mary Queen Among the Saints”, originally from San Liberatore. Several symbolic elements considered esoteric are present, such as the Flower of Life, the All-Seeing Eye inside a triangle, and the inscription “Terribilis est locus iste”, which also appears in the Church of Rennes-le-Château in France.
- Address
Via del Municipio, 28, Serramonacesca, Italy - Web
None - Visiting Hours
Unknown - What to see
Medieval bas-reliefs
