Church of Santa Maria in Belverde

It is said that Saint Francis had retreated in prayer into the cave located behind the church of Santa Maria in Belvedere and so, in 1367, a nobleman from Orvieto decided to build a hermitage and a church there.
The church consists of an arcade on Gothic pillars, surmounted by a high bell tower, inside which there are three chapels laid out on two levels. The lower part of the church is decorated with 14th century frescoes attributed to Cola Petruccioli including the Crucifixion, the St. Francis’ Stigmata, the Annunciation, and the Virgin Mary with the Evangelists.
In the upper part of the church, there are other frescoes attributed to Petruccioli, with Stories of Mary Magdalene and the life of the Virgin. The frescoes of the Stories of the Passion of Christ, found in another chapel, are attributed to one of Petruccioli’s fellow workers.