The few remaining fragments of frescoes from the decoration of the church are concentrated in the original presbytery area, particularly around the arch. Above, beneath the gabled roof, there was an Annunciation, with the Virgin, dressed in a red robe on the right (still partially visible), and the angel on the left (completely lost). Below the Virgin, within a cartouche, are the words of her response to the angel’s announcement. In a central position, above the arch, is the double coat of arms of the patron and probable benefactor of the sacred building.
The left coat of arms: divided, the first part azure with five golden bands; the second, possibly azure with a natural tree. The right coat of arms: gules (red), with a rampant golden lion.
Around the arch, there are some geometric decorations featuring golden stars inscribed in crowns of alternating blue and red circles, which are further enclosed within square frames. Below, to the right, is the figure of a prelate wearing a white robe and dark cloak, holding a red book in his left hand.
Above the coat of arms is an inscription, only partially legible: “D. EUGENIUS C. / AB OLYMPO / PI[NXIT?]”, which perhaps refers to the unknown painter who created the frescoes or to the patron. The artwork, which is heavily damaged, can be attributed to a Florentine artist, or more precisely to a local painter trained in Florence, active around 1480.
Inside the former presbytery, along the southern wall, a partially preserved image of Christ blessing, wrapped in a large red robe and holding a globe topped with a cross in His left hand, can be seen. In the upper right, the word “MUNDI” is visible, and it must have been preceded on the left by the word “SALVATOR,” which is now completely faded, thus reading Redemptor Mundi (Redeemer of the World). The work, undoubtedly by a different hand, seems to date back several decades earlier and was likely executed by a painter within the Florentine artistic sphere.
Licia Bertani
