Santa Maria in Belverde

From Bagno Vignoni you go towards Chianciano and from there you reach Sarteano and then take the road that goes to Mount Cetona. After a few kilometers you will find on the left the sign for the convent of San Francesco and the hermitage of Santa Maria in Belverde, immersed in a suggestive natural setting. Cypresses and caves, Romanesque and capitals, mystical beauty everywhere. Tradition has it that Saint Francis retreated to pray in the cave behind the church: for this reason, in 1367 the hermitage and the church were built there by a nobleman from Orvieto. The jewel is represented by the church which is on two levels and divided into three oratories. Inside there are valuable frescoes dating back to the second half of the 14th century and attributed to Cola Petruccioli, with the Crucifixion, the Stigmata of Saint Francis, the Annunciation, the Madonna and evangelists. In the upper church there are other frescoes by Petruccioli, with Stories of Mary Magdalene and the life of the Virgin. One of his collaborators was responsible for the Stories of the Passion of Christ, frescoed in another chapel. To observe these wonders up close you need to ask the residents of the Mondo X community who are in the convent next door for the keys. Just knock and they open you up and take you into a mystical dimension, into a distant and sublime world.

Bagno Vignoni – Hermitage Santa Maria in Belverde 37.7 kilometers