Santa Vittoria in Matenano: the places of silence itinerary

In the long and varied history of hermitage in our country, we cannot fail to mention the Marche. This region, where the climate and landscape are more varied than ever, has a special relationship with nature, which is undoubtedly dominant over the anthropic element, today as in past centuries. That's why it represented for a long time a perfect destination for the Hermits, who settled there on a permanent basis to trace an ideal distance from progress and thus find the right dimension for peace and prayer.  

What is important to point out is that this sentiment also involves contemporary pilgrims, who still travel to these areas to find a spiritual space, away from distractions, and predisposing to meditation and contemplation - to really find themselves, in short. Among the big and small towns of the Marches, Santa Vittoria in Matenano welcomes pilgrims to the hill of the same name, to transport them to the former domain of the Farfensi monks, who were responsible for the flourishing of this center and much of what can be found around it.

The Farfensi were a group of monks of the Benedictine order who were based in the abbey of Santa Maria di Farfa (present-day Fara Sabina, in the province of Rieti) but in the year 890 had to flee Saracen invasions and took refuge in the Piceno area, by concession of the dukes of Spoleto. They settled in the monastery of Ss. Ippolito and Giovanni in Silva, fortified the surrounding territory and deserved the appointment as Presidiato Farfense in the Marche region. Only a few years later they rescued there the remains of St. Victoria, the martyr to whom they dedicated the village.

The internal struggles of the monastic order, between the abbey of Farfa and the newly founded abbey of Santa Vittoria, was only one of the reasons that led to the decline of the Presidium and, later, in the eighteenth century, to the suppression of the order, but there are many evidences that the Farfensi have left in the area; that is why today we will talk about the Places of Silence of Santa Vittoria in Matenano and what is the legacy of the Farfensi. 

We begin our itinerary of the Places of Silence in Santa Vittoria in Matenano from Sant'Agostino, a perfect combination of religion and politics. 
This building stands on Corso Matteotti, the central artery of the town and is Romanesque in style, dating back to the late 15th century, but the facade, due to damages caused by several earthquakes, was never completed. 
In ancient times it was one of the main churches of the Farfensi, with an adjoining monastery, as processions in honor of Santa Vittoria on the days dedicated to her departed from here. It was rather short-lived, however, because of the dissolution of the order, and became municipal property.
The church, however, is still existing, and an organ from the first half of the 18th century, consisting of a number of 17th-century pipes, can be found inside. Unfortunately, like other churches in the country, it is not accessible, due to damage from the 2016 earthquake. 
The other section of the building, the former monastery, is instead dedicated to the Town Hall, which keeps important ancient documents in its archives. 

We continue exploring the town center, and move to Lamponi Street, where the church of San Salvatore is located. 

This building was realized in the nineteenth century, but its original core dates back to the thirteenth century when it was in a countryside district near the Tenna River. The residents of the village requested its relocation, in order to include it within the center. Inside you can admire works of sacred art and paintings from the Marche school of painting.

It is currently the only church to be accessible and is used for holy mass and all religious rituals, from weddings to funerals, while waiting for European funds to be allocated for the restoration of the other sacred buildings. 

We continue on Via Lamponi, towards Via XX Settembre and turn left onto Via Farfense, until we are in front of one of the most characteristic Places of Silence in Santa Vittoria in Matenano, the Sanctuary dedicated to the Martyr, the Collegiata.  

We find ourselves at the bottom of a staircase, and among the foliage of the trees we can admire a beautiful neo-classical facade and a bell tower.

Built at the end of the 18th century, it houses numerous works of sacred art, such as paintings from the Marche school and goldsmith art objects, such as a stationary cross in embossed silver foil, from the Sienese school. 

The structure includes the Sacristy, the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, and of course the crypt with the reliquary where the mortal remains and dagger of Saint Victoria are kept. The crypt is of course the main attraction of the shrine, made of travertine and carved in the 15th century with the story of the Saint's martyrdom. 

After a brief pause to enjoy the fresh air of the Parco della Rimembranza, at the back of the Sanctuary, we head down the not-so-distant Via Roma, toward the Monastery of Santa Caterina, which perhaps represents the culmination of the quest for peace.  

This building was built around the 13th century to provide a way for women, too, to follow in the footsteps of the Farfensi monks, with whom they lived in communion for about five centuries, until the closure of the male order. 

The monks have been gone for a number of centuries but the Monastery of Santa Caterina is still active and welcomes all those who in our hectic contemporary times need the Places of Silence and their contemplative atmosphere. Indeed, spiritual retreats, seminars and prayer meetings are organized here for families, couples close to marriage or solitary travelers, even those without their own means. 

The nuns also spend time tending their vegetable garden, making canned goods, embroidering and making textiles, with a view to self-sufficiency and humility 

A curious fact concerning the interior of the monastery church: in a niche there is a painting of the Madonna del Latte, or the Virgin breastfeeding the baby Jesus, a rather rare but very evocative and tender image and particularly well-loved in these areas. 

We continue our journey among the Places of Silence in Santa Vittoria in Matenano by leaving the historic center and exploring the surroundings. 

We drive along the quiet and peaceful country lanes, enjoying the chirping of birds and the rustling of tree foliage. Along the provincial road leading to the village of Montelparo stands the ancient church of the Madonna degli Angeli, so named because of the fresco of Rimini art, dating back to the 14th century, which again depicts the Madonna del Latte, surrounded by angels. The fresco, unfortunately, is partly damaged. 

We remain still outside the center, in the formerly known as “Pian Santa Maria” district and come across the parish church of Santa Maria della Valle. Its importance dates back to the 18th century, because between 1771 and 1793 it kept the reliquary with Santa Vittoria remains, before they were moved to the Collegiata.

Let us conclude our tour of the Places of Silence in Santa Vittoria in Matenano with the Cappellone, or the Church of the Resurrection. 

Climbing to the highest peak of the Matenano hill, we come across this splendid place surrounded by greenery to admire first of all a breathtaking view, including lush hills, forests, the mountains of the Gran Sasso and Sibillini massifs and even a portion of the Adriatic Sea. The imposing building thus combines a sacred atmosphere and proximity to nature, a feature that in ancient times made it a pilgrimage destination by citizens for celebrations, processions and religious festivals. 

We come to the façade of the Church of the Resurrection, which owes its name to the reproduction, on the main altar, of the Resurrection of Christ but, the people of San Vittorio prefer to call it affectionately Cappellone, because inside it is the Chapel of the Innocents, in pompous Baroque style. 

In this chaotic and noisy age we often forget to give time its proper value, noises are our daily soundtrack, electronic devices soak us up and distract us from our thoughts. Modernity, in short, hyper-stimulates us and drains our energy. That is why sometimes it can be very useful to explore places far from cities that allow us to breathe clean air and admire scenic and cultural beauty. A tour of the places of silence in Santa Vittoria in Matenano or one of the other fermano municipalities that are part of this circuit could concretely help us reconnect with our inner selves-a journey within a journey, in other words, that we need to take every now and then.