- Not open to visitors -
The Church of Santa Maria is located in Mevale, a hamlet of the Municipality of Visso on the border between the Marche and Umbria, located on an ancient high ground between the Nera and Vigi valleys.
The evocative interior of the church is decorated with frescoes that have a great historical testimony value for their ability to tell the story of the territory. The importance of the Church is linked to a miraculous image in Romanesque-Byzantine style depicting the Madonna with Child. According to tradition, in 1282, the table was miraculously brought by the angels to the modest church of the village of Mevale.
The church was enlarged in 1282 in Gothic style with the construction of three naves. In fact, following the miracles attributed to the image, the Counts of Alviano, then feudal lords of the territory, decided to embellish the Pieve.
The oldest fresco is from the 14th century and represents a knightly tournament, with scenes of medieval life inside the Alvianese castle: religious events, dances, tournaments, jousting, ladies and knights that recall the Quintana of Foligno. Of particular interest is the equipment of the late medieval knight, which testify to the origin of numerous idioms still used today, such as eg. “Losing the stirrups” element highlighted in the painting by the knights with their feet firmly hoisted to the stirrups.
Source: https://www.fondoambiente.it/luoghi/chiesa-di-santa-maria-di-mevale?ldc