St. Bartholomew Church

The gate of San Bartolomeo, an evocative introduction to the beauty of the ancient capital of Principato Ultra.

HISTORY

Located on the western outskirts of Montefusco, the church dedicated to the apostle St Bartholomew is one of the oldest in Europe.

Audio-Guide

We have no certain information on the time of its erection, but it is certainly one of the oldest in Montefusco: in fact, it is mentioned in a notarial deed of 1221.

Rebuilt after the earthquake damage of 1688, it was consecrated by Archbishop Orsini on 9 November 1697. It was always a parish church. Indeed, in terms of size of territory and number of souls, it was one of the most important parishes in Montefusco, especially when the parishes of S. Matteo (towards the end of the 1600s) and S. Nicola dei Franchis (mid-1600s) were aggregated to it. But this pre-eminence as a parish was never matched by an adequately large and imposing church. In fact, St Bartholomew’s was always, as it is today, a cramped little church with a single nave and a single altar, devoid of marble and paintings of any value except for a venerable painting of St Bartholomew. The statue of the saint dates back to the end of the 18th century.

ART

It is the first church we encounter passing through the old town gate, of which two tall columns remain.

Audio-Guide

These are two 18th-century pillars, embellished with Baroque volutes, that replaced the previous medieval western gate. At the base of the pillars, two seats open like arms ready to welcome the visitor.

Once through the precious stone entrance, the view goes to the small church of San Bartolomeo, the oldest in Montefusco, dating back to the 11th century. Its unadorned appearance is reminiscent of Romanesque architecture, as are the protruding central body of the façade and the double-arched bell tower. The entrance door is surmounted by an aedicule decorated with a Baroque majolica panel.
The single nave of the church houses an altar and some wooden statues. Underneath, there is also a hypogeum formerly used as a cemetery area.

The other sites of historical and cultural interest to visit in Montefusco!

St. Bartholomew Church

The gate of San Bartolomeo, an evocative introduction to the beauty of the ancient capital of Principato Ultra.

Sanctuary Madonna

St. Bartholomew Church

Santa Caterina Church

St. John’s Church