during the work undertaken by the Benedictine Fathers in 1975
a mortuary cell with two sarcophaguses were discovered, one of which has
not been opened. It has a cover in mortar and a graffito cross of the 7th-8th
century. In these evocative surroundings various sculptures from the excavations
of the shrine, from the ex-church of Saint Peter and from the ruins of
the Benedictine abbey of Santa Maria of Pulsano have been put on
exhibition. All the findings exhibited here are dated from the 7th-8th
century up to the 15th century.
Beginning our visit we can admire the various sculptures that give
witness once again to the glorious story of this place.
Here is a list of some of the most significant findings: The coat of
arms of the town of Monte Sant'Angelo of the year 1401; various architectural
items of the 11th-12th centuries, such as fragments of columns; small columns
of local stone, decorative items, a Madonna and Child of the 15th century;
a statue of Saint Michael of the first half of the 14th century; a statue
of the Redeemer of the 15th century; a lavabo decorated with biblical scenes;
various fragments of an ambo, one of which is an eagle with a lectern from
the atelier of Acceptus of the 11th century; fragments of pluteus of the
10th-11th centuries, a funerary cross of the 8th century; another
sculpture representing Saint Michael of the 14th century, and an Angel
with a standard 10th-11th century; a praying Christ of the 11th-12th centuries,
of the same period a headless Madonna. In one of the small rooms to the
side are exhibited some spiral columns with capitals of the 10th-11th century,
a stiliforo lion of the same period, a paving-stone of the 8th-9th centuries;
slabs of terracotta for tomb coverings attributed by some to the 8th-9th
centuries, others to the Roman era; finally some fragments of paving-stone
with graffiti that go back to the year 1066.
Going, through the opening excavated in the sustaining wall of the
bronze doors, we find ourselves in the other ambient of the Longobard era,
divided into two large naves; stressed by a central flight of three round
arches and delimited at the north and the south by other arches sustained
by massive pillars.
The roofing of this ambient was supposed to have been composed of a
barrel vault sustained by transversal arches. The naves were occupied by
stairs; the one on the right with a curvilinear trend, and preserved integrally
in its course, the one to the left with a rectilinear trend was completely
destroyed during the work. The two stairs ended in a small floor, delimited
to the east by an apse with an altar of squared conci with traces of numerous
inscriptions, to the north by some ambients which had obstructed entrances
and to the south by two entrances which gave onto the rocky slope opposite
the grotto.
To the left of the altar a fresco called the Custos Ecclesiae has been
discovered, protected by stone slabs which can be attributed to the 10th
century. Today it is exhibited in the conference hall. From the remains
of the frescoes and the numerous inscriptions on the walls, we can understand
the importance of the shrine, especially for the Longobards.
These ambients were definitely separated from the holy grotto towards
the years 1270-1275, when the Angevins gave the shrine its actual arrangement
with the new constructions, sacrificing the preceding works built in honour
of Saint Michael Archangel. |
