Tuesday, March 20, 2012

28 Minutes of Massa Martana

For those wishing to see a bit of Massa Martana, or maybe if you are missing it already, the Commune di Massa Martana has produced a ca. 28 minute film about the town, its surroundings, and its history.  The film features familiar figures, such as the mayor and other prominent Martani like Elena Burchi.  The soundtrack is part smooth Jazz (for the cool present), part classical (for the catacombs), and part military-style band (for the Romans).

http://www.familylifetv.it/video/massa_martana

Monday, March 19, 2012

Sant'Ippolito (Hippolytus)

Continuing my occasional posts about medieval churches near the Vicus ad Martis, here are some images of Sant'Ippolito, a medieval church near Massa Martana. 



The church could date to about the same period as other, visually similar, churches nearby, ca. 13th century.  But, the re-used material in the facade and apse, suggest that the original construction could be earlier. 


The church appears to be largely neglected and is between a house and barn, and next to the parking lot of restaurant.  The apse, which is in fairly good condition, serves as a lean-to for extra farm equipment used in the barn behind the church.



I was unable to enter the church when I visited.  However, a photo posted by "Vicus Martis" on panoramio.com appears to show the inside of the church.



While the thick layer of dust indicates that the church has not been used for some time, the church interior has frescoes that would appear to be worthy of documentation before further deterioration.  The interior decorative program could yield clues as to the date and history of the church.