Valle Pezzata - The Church

The Church

From at least the Middle Ages onward, Valle Pezzata, along with the surrounding villages of the upper Castellana Valley, have fallen within the administrative jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ascoli Piceno.

There is only one remaining local church, it being dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari. It is part of the Saint Annunziata of Valle Castellana parish. The church is rectangular in shape and very small. Due to safety concerns, the apse was recently demolished. Under the architraves of the doors are carved heads of owls made into bracket supports. On each side are reliefs in the form of lions in the act of climbing. An inscription bears the date 1519. The inner sanctum of the church is rather plain and devoid of great artistic significance. The small altar is made of travertine stone. The visitor will note a statue of Saint Vincent, the work of a craftsman from the village Val Gardena and dating back to 1954. The church bell, 37,5 x 41 centimeters in dimension carries the late Gothic insrciption: AVE M LM CISTER 0 A R L V D T M 0 MCCCCQIIII. This would date the building to the year 1444. The church bell was likely salvaged from the bell tower which once made up a portion of a Franciscan Convent.