The Collegiate Church of San Michele Arcangelo is the principal religious building in Città Sant’Angelo and one of the most significant monuments in Abruzzo. Established as a collegiate church as early as 1353, it stands at the entrance to the historic centre and dominates the village with its imposing architecture.

The building is distinguished by a structure divided into two naves – dedicated to St Michael and St John – and by the striking 15th-century portico, divided into two covered atria with trussed roofs. Between these stands a spectacular staircase leading to the entrance, creating a highly striking architectural effect.

Art and interiors

The nave of San Michele features a wooden coffered ceiling, crafted in 1911 by local craftsmen, which conceals the original trussed roof decorated with 14th-century frescoes attributed to the Master of Offida. Some fragments of these paintings, recently restored, depict episodes from the life of Jesus.

Inside, there are works of great artistic and devotional value, including:

• a 14th-century wooden statue of Saint Michael
• a polychrome terracotta Madonna delle Grazie, also dating from the 14th century
• the sarcophagus of Bishop Amico Buonamicizia (1457)
• an elegant 17th-century wooden choir with a lectern, crafted by the cabinetmaker Giuseppe Monti
• five large gilded wooden altarpieces, richly carved by masters of the Neapolitan school

The entrance and the exterior

The pointed arch portal, created in 1326 by the sculptor Raimondo di Poggio, is one of the most striking features of the collegiate church. Set within the long curtain wall, it features rich and imaginative decorations and marks the transition from the traditional round arch to the more slender pointed arch. At the foot of the staircase are two stone plutei, originating from a 9th-century ambo, bearing witness to the site’s earliest origins.

The bell tower

A symbol of the primacy of religious power over civil authority, the bell tower rises to a height of approximately 47 metres, the same length as the portico. Built in 1425 by Neapolitan craftsmen and rebuilt in 1709 following the earthquake of 1706, it is marked by four brick string courses and is one of the most recognisable features of the city skyline.

The Collegiate Church of San Michele Arcangelo is today the spiritual heart of Città Sant’Angelo: a place where art, history and devotion come together to form a setting of extraordinary beauty, which tells the story of centuries of religious and cultural life in the village.