In Monte San Pietrangeli the Franciscan Complex has watched over the village for almost a thousand years. Let's discover its treasures an long history
Those who arrive in Monte San Pietrangeli driving through the hills of Marca Fermana, cannot help but notice from afar the two bell towers standing out at the two opposite sides of the historic center. One of them belongs to the Collegiate Church, while the other to the Franciscan complex.
The latter is one of the most important and representative monuments of the village, and also among the oldest. A place of history and quiet, of art and culture, with a centuries-old past. Despite all the changes it has undergone over time, it's still there, where the monks built it about a thousand years ago, majestic and imposing, with its bell tower that watches over all the roofs of the village.
Let's set off to discover the Franciscan complex of Monte San Pietrangeli, then, to learn more about its treasures.
The Franciscan complex, protagonist of Monte San Pietrangeli's life
There are places that convey an idea of peace and serenity at first sight. The Franciscan complex of Monte San Pietrangeli is certainly one of these. Walking around its high and thick walls, with few openings, you can imagine without too much effort that life inside has always gone on calmly and industriously, or even secluded from the rest of the village.
However, what is today a monument, important in particular for its artistic heritage, has actually been the protagonist of several fundamental moments for the life of the entire Monte San Pietrangeli, at least in some historical periods. And who knows, maybe it will be so again in the future.
To truly understand the importance of this very particular place, then, let's immediately reveal its very long history.
The millennial history of the Franciscan complex of Monte San Pietrangeli
If the area where Monte San Pietrangeli stands has been inhabited since the times of the ancient Romans, as evidenced by some finds kept here, an actual village was initially built in the Middle Ages. The Franciscan complex was its center for several years, although at the time of its foundation, in the 11th century, the monks of Ferentillo who built it had named it after San Pietro.
Only in 1270 was it donated to the Franciscan friars, who named him after the founder of their order. Since then, this monument had borne the name of San Francesco, but it has not always been a convent, at least not entirely. In 1536, in fact, one of the most important episodes in the history of the village took place. The inhabitants of nearby Fermo conquered it and demolished part of the convent to transform it into a defensive structure, given its ideal position. However, the people of Fermo underestimated the indomitable spirit of Monte San Pietrangeli, which rebelled, so only a few months later the newly built fortress was demolished.
With the help of Pope Sixtus V, who took the village under his protection, the church was also rebuilt and consecrated in 1572. Today, the substantial late eighteenth-century renovations stand out in the complex, the most massive of which concerns the bell tower and the reduction of the nave from three to one.
The Church of San Francesco
Inside the church of San Francesco, in the nave, the shining white of the floor, stucco and vaults predominates. This makes the altar area even more remarkable, behind which, as a contrast, there is the dark walnut wood of the beautiful choir that accompanies the curve of the apse. The barrel vault, unlike that of the nave, is decorated with panels of various colors. Here was also the splendid altarpiece, the polyptych by Giuliano da Fano, currently kept in the multipurpose center San Giovanni, in the main square of Monte San Pietrangeli.
Another jewel not to be missed inside the church is located above the entrance, it's the choir with the beautiful eighteenth-century organ. The work is by the great Venetian master Gaetano Callido, who made it even more precious thanks to the golden carvings on the wooden case, which reproduce musical instruments.
The cloister and the bell tower
It is impossible to leave the Franciscan complex without visiting its cloister. Here we can walk peacefully in the sun, or in the shade of the cross vaults of the porticoes that occupy two of its sides. Between the slender quadrangular pillars we can see a staircase that leads to the upper floor and an engraving that recalls the massive restorations of 1680 not only of the cloister itself, but also of the bell tower, completed in 1683.
The bell tower is indeed one of the most interesting elements of the complex, because it's composed of both medieval and baroque elements. The tower is massive, quadrangular, but on the top there is an elegant drum with high arched windows and an octagonal dome. These last two elements are the work of the architect Rosato Rosati di Montalto, as written on the inscription on one of the external walls.
How to get to the Franciscan Convent of Monte San Pietrangeli
Reaching the Franciscan complex is very simple.
Traveling towards Monte San Pietrangeli either on the provincial road 72 or 44, one option is to drive along the side of the beautiful ancient walls, leave the car and reach Largo Valadier to start exploring the village from what was once Porta San Lorenzo. Also, Via Roma begins here, crosses the entire center and leads straight to Piazzale Leopardi, where the complex is located.
Another equally valid option is to enter Monte San Pietrangeli right from the side of the Franciscan complex. After leaving the provincial road, we then drive up Via Matteotti for a few minutes. Soon the massive bulk of the complex will appear on the right, impossible not to notice it. Piazzale Leopardi is just a couple of minutes away.
