St Mary’s Parish Church
At the end of the square the majestic St. Mary’s Parish Church rises.
It was founded around the VII and VIII centuries. The present façade of the church is the result of a change made to the structure at the beginning of the XXth century. In order to create a new entrance on the side of the Fiorucci square the apse of the church was pulled down and the original entrance was walled up.
The interior of the church presents an irregular rectangular plant with a plain unadorned single nave interrupted by huge ridges supporting ogival vaults.
On the right wall of the nave there is an interesting fresco attributed to Raffaellino del Colle; depicting “St Sebastian’s martyrdom”; inside the chansel of the church, a copy of the polyctyc by Ottaviano Nelli is preserved. He was a famous eugubine painter of the XV century. It is a masterpiece, that came from the Church of St Augustine, was transferred to the National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia.
-The Bell Tower
Continuing towards the left side entrance of the church we can see the massive bell tower structure, built in 1933.
-The Gonfalon Church.
Opposite the entrance to the bell tower it is possible to see the church of the gonfalon that is no longer officiated. There, in the past centuries , the General Councils of the community were also held.
-The Romanesque Portal
A few steps forward, on the right side we can admire the upper church rose window and the impressive Romanesque portal, that until the end of the 19th century, was the main entrance of the Church, Unfortunately, in July 1944, during World War II, a grenade seriously hit this interesting work of art, with irreparable damages, that can be seen on the upper left side of the portal.
On the right side, at the height of about three metres, a gothic inscription bears witness of the ancient origin of the building:
CORRUIT HAEC PLEBS SUB CHRISTI MILLEDUCENTIS ET SEMPTEM DENIS ADIUNCTIS HIISQUE NOVENIS ET REPARATA FUIT SUB EODEM TEMPORE CHRISTI HUIUS RECTOR ERAT UGOLINUS NOMINE DICTUS
(This church fell down in 1279 and was immediately repaired in the period when Ugolino was archpriest.)