Franciscan Convents

The Rieti territory is the cradle of monachism. Important and powerful abbeys dominated during the Middle Ages. Today, these structures are still mysterious and imposing jewels located throughout the area: from the Farfa Abbey to the San Salvatore Abbey, and from the Santi Quirico and Giulitta Abbey to the Abbey of San Pastore.

During the 13^th century, the Mendicant Orders, above all the Franciscans, took over from the Benedictines and redesigned the mystic geography of the province. The Franciscans virtually exploded during the 13^th and 14^th centuries and counted 23 settlements spread throughout the territory.

The Franciscan convents and churches of the Rieti valley are a treasure trove of art, culture and history. Included in this exquisite heritage is the rare beauty of the Churches of Saint Francis in Leonessa and in Amatrice.

The Church and Convent of Saint Francis in Leonessa
When the Franciscans arrived in Leonessa at the end of the 13^th century, they began to build the convent and the church. Work continued until the beginning of the 15^th century. The elegant façade is made from shells of red stone from Leonessa and is enriched by the late-Gothic portal.

The interior is divided into three naves by large octagonal pilasters. It houses masterpieces of notable worth. Portals embellished by bas-reliefs brought here from other churches can be found in the naves. There are 14^th and 15^thcentury paintings on the walls including a painting if Saint Catherine of Alexandria and one of the Holy Trinity attributed to Domenico da Leonessa who worked in the second half of the 15^th century. In 1993, a cycle of frescoes greatly influenced by Giotto and attributed to various painters was discovered in the crypt. These include “Paradise” (dated to the beginning of the 14^th century) and the “Miracle of the Madonna of the Grapes (dated to the beginning of the 15^th century).

The Church of Saint Francis at Amatrice
The 14^th century Church of Saint Francis rises in the historical centre of Amatrice, an ancient village set amidst the Monti della Laga.
The horizontally crowned façade contains a beautiful Gothic portal. A refined sculptural group of the Madonna with Child between two angels is set in the lunette.

The interior has a single nave and an imposing semi-polygon apse. The walls are adorned by frescoes that date between the 14^th and 15^th centuries. The most notable piece is the altar of the Madonna di Filetta (17^th century) that holds the precious chiselled reliquary (1472) attributed to the master goldsmith from the Marche region, Pietro di Vannino.