Basilica of San Salvatore a Spoleto - Basilica of San Salvatore a Spoleto

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Basilica of San Salvatore in Spoleto

Erected on Ciciano hill and now incorporated into Spoleto’s cemetery, just outside the town’s medieval walls, the Basilica of San Salvatore (currently under restoration) is one of the most fascinating sites in Umbria. According to the local historian Giuseppe Sordini, it is the largest ancient monument in the town, remarkable for the extraordinary architectural vision behind its conception.

Entering the basilica is like crossing a threshold in time: the structure combines decorative elements inspired by classical models and Roman-era spolia—such as the columns likely taken from the forum area of Roman Spoletium—with Eastern influences, linked to the arrival of numerous Syrian monks in the 6th century, those same monks who contributed to the birth of hermitic movements in Monteluco and the Valnerina.

In 2011, the Basilica of San Salvatore was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, included in the serial site The Lombards in Italy. Places of Power (568–774 AD), which comprises the most extraordinary monumental remains of Lombard civilization in Italy.

History and Construction Phases of the Basilica

Although the exact date of construction is unknown and long debated by scholars, the most accredited theories date the basilica to the early Christian era, between the 4th and 5th centuries. Originally, it was likely dedicated to Saint Concordius, a martyr from Spoleto who, according to hagiographic tradition, was buried on this site.

In the 8th century, possibly due to a catastrophic event, the building underwent major renovation works and was rededicated to San Salvatore. It is under this new dedication that it appears in documents from 815 and 840.

It was during this phase that the basilica took on its current form, becoming a true symbol of the Lombard people, closely comparable to another major monument: the Tempietto in Campello sul Clitunno. In both cases, classical spolia and imitation thereof were masterfully blended into early Christian architecture, creating refined examples of architectural continuity between past and present.

In the 11th century, the basilica was rededicated to Saint Concordius, with the addition of a dedication to Saint Senzia, another martyr from Spoleto. This double dedication was maintained until the 17th century, when veneration of the two saints gave way to devotion to a miraculous image of the Crucified Christ, brought from another location and placed on the high altar. From then on, the building also became known as the Church of the Crucifix.

In 1249, the church and its adjoining monastery were granted to the Cathedral Chapter, which entrusted them to the Augustinians in 1259. The monks, in turn, allowed a number of devout women to live in seclusion within the monastery. A document from the time records that the site housed relics of Saints Concordius and Senzia, which were collected in an urn in 1727 that is still preserved inside the church.

The nuns remained in the complex until 1456, when the Discalced Augustinians took over and remained until 1951. During the 20th century, the basilica underwent extensive restoration to remove centuries of alterations, and it was once again dedicated to San Salvatore, alongside Saints Concordius and Senzia.

Exterior of the Basilica of San Salvatore

Façade of the Basilica of San Salvatore

Nave of the Basilica of San Salvatore

Stone apse with a fresco depicting the Crucifixion, Corinthian columns, and architectural decorations.

Apse of the Basilica of San Salvatore

Frescoes with sacred figures at the foot of the crucifix on the semicircular wall of the apse in the Basilica of San Salvatore.

The Crucifixion and the Madonna with Child and a saint

The Façade: A Balance of Classicism and Spirituality

The exterior of the building is especially striking for its superb yet austere façade, now divided into two tiers.

The lower section, originally perhaps plastered or preceded by a portico, features three elegant stone portals with architraves of classical inspiration.

In the upper section, which retains some fragments of ashlar stone decoration, there are three windows. The two side windows are topped by pediments with triangular tympanums, while the central one is flanked by two small pilasters supporting a round arch, whose archivolt is decorated with classical motifs and sixteen radial elements.

The Monumental Interior: Between Frescoes and Columns

Now almost entirely devoid of frescoes and furnishings, the basilica impresses with its imposing yet austere architecture, laid out in a three-nave plan, with the central nave higher than the sideaisles.Originally separated by seven bays—now mostly filled in—the aisles are defined by massive Doric spolia columns. The walls of the central nave, as revealed by surviving fragments at the ends, were once covered with stucco imitating a grand Doric entablature.

At the end of the central nave, a triumphal arch leads to the square-shaped presbytery, covered byan eight-segment dome with a lantern at its apex. At each of the four corners are pairs of Corinthian spolia columns, while flanking semi-columns frame the entrances to two side rooms—which probably served originally as sacristies—now part of the side aisles.

A semi-circular apse closes the interior layout, flanked by two square-plan rooms. At the centre of the apse, in a niche, is a fresco of a gemmed cross. Alongside traces of faux marble wall decorations, this is attributed to the Early Middle Ages. Above the niche is a 16th-century Crucifixion by a follower of Lo Spagna, and to the right is a Madonna and Child with a saint, a fragmented 13th-century fresco.

Additional frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries can be found in the two chapels beside the apse and along the walls of the side aisles, such as the image of a Holy Deacon on the right aisle, which may represent Saint Concordius—the very figure whose veneration gave rise to the centuries-long history of this extraordinary site.

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