Photos

Church of San Michele Arcangelo - Colle Luciano - Spoleto (PG)

The ancient church is located on top of the Ciciano or Luciano hill, a place since ancient times dedicated to cemetery and cult use, as evidenced by the presence on its slopes of the ancient Basilica of San Salvatore and the Abbey of San Ponziano.
There is a lack of archaeological evidence relating to the early Christian phase of the church, similarly lacking are the archival sources, it is likely that an early Christian chapel pre-existed on site, perhaps only a baptistery dedicated to the Archangel; until a few years ago, a plaque with the inscription: D O M | S. MICHAELI ARCA | NGELO POST CONS | ULATUM FELICIS ET | TAURI ANNO VERO SA | L HUM .CCCCXXVIII. HO | C TEMPLUM DICATUM SA | CROQ BAPTISMATIS FONT | E AD CATHED ECCLESIAM | POSTEA TRANSLATO MAXIMISQ | INDULGENTS S PER TOTUM MENSEM | MAII INSIGNITUM SACRATU | MQUE FUIT, (After the consulate of Felice and Tauro, in the year 428, this temple was dedicated to God and to St. Michael the Archangel and later, after the sacred baptismal font was transferred to the cathedral church, it was awarded the maximum indulgences throughout the month of May and was consecrated). The inscription, now in the archaeological museum, was from the seventeenth century, made on the occasion of the rebuilding of the church, but was based on a pre-existing one whose partial text was reproduced by Muratori.
It is likely that the transfer of the baptismal font, mentioned in the epigraph, took place in the ninth century, at the church of the same name then existing in the Spoleto cathedral complex. Perhaps the primitive building of worship underwent a renovation in the twelfth century, in correspondence with the great flowering of the Spoleto Romanesque, it is certain that at that time there was a church that served as a parish church. In the sacred visit of Pietro de Lunel, bishop of Gaeta, which took place in the years 1571-1572, the church is described as "rural and simple". In the late 17th century the building underwent a radical renovation, with the addition of two aisles. At the end of the 18th century the church was abandoned and, in 1817, destined for the burial of the dead from petechial typhus. Even the dead from the 1855 Asian cholera epidemic were buried in this place, after which the church was again abandoned, sold to private individuals and degraded to agricultural use.

Today the church is in complete ruins, the facade, of which only the lower part remains, has a well preserved portal; it is rounded and ancient, with ashlars having pre-Romanesque characteristics, perhaps belonging to the original church or to a reconstruction of the Lombard period. Above the portal there are the remains of a niche, which probably contained a statue. Two crosses are engraved on the inside right side of the portal. Beside the portal, sections of masonry in filaretto with well connected ashlars emerged below the plaster, typical of the early Spoleto Romanesque. The roof has completely collapsed and there is no longer any trace of the bell tower.
The interior has three naves, separated from each other by pillars and arches in stone and brick, unfortunately the current conditions of decay, the presence of vegetation and the residual clutter relevant to use for agricultural purposes only make it difficult to read.
At the end of the left aisle there is a niche in which a crucifixion was frescoed, today the white cross on a black background and two evanescent figures remain, most likely the Madonna and San Giovanni. On the
Croce was affixed to a statue of Christ, the holes resulting from the tearing of the same are still visible. On the intrados of the crypt, the dove of the Holy Spirit is frescoed in a round, with floral motifs on the sides, which are repeated in the lateral thicknesses.
The central nave is even less legible, traces of frescoes can be seen on the back wall. The right aisle does not retain any visible relief elements.
A series of buildings are attached to the church, perhaps formerly a small convent complex.