Visit Tolentino
Tolentino is situated in the Marche region of eastern Italy to the south-west of Macerat, on a round hill at the foot of which the Chienti River flows.
Tolentino Basilica
The visit to Tolentino can start from the Basilica of San Nicola da Tolentino, built between the 13th and 14th centuries, but later largely restored. The Baroque style façade dates from the 17th-18th centuries and has a Gothic style portal with numerous reliefs and statues, by Nanni di Bartolo. The interior has a nave, with a coffered ceiling; in the chapel on the right stands a work by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called the “Guercino” (1591-1666) ("Santa Anna"). From there the visitor is attracted by the so-called " Big-Chapel (“Cappellone”) of St. Nicholas”, in Gothic style and decorated with a 14th century fresco cycle, a work by the so-called “Master of Tolentino”. In the middle of the chapel there is tomb of St. Nicholas, in Renaissance-style (the crypt contains the body of the Saint). From the “Big-Chapel of St. Nicholas" we enter the cloister, probably dating (according to art critics) from the fourteenth century, although the actual date is uncertain. It contains various paintings such as the "Madonna and Child", and others with "Stories of St. Nicholas," performed by Giovanni Anastasi (1653-1704).
Tolentino Museums
Worth visiting are the Ceramics Museum, Gallery of “Ex-voto” and Sanctuary Museum, with fine works in silver, wood, and various paintings from the 16th-18th centuries.
Among the materials in the Archaeological Museum note particularly an “amygdale” red flint, dating from the Palaeolithic era, Neolithic arrowheads and several polished stone axes. Among the most striking findings are a war chariot; some Etruscan bronze vessels and potteries decorated with black and red-figures, buckles and various ornaments. From the Roman period there are several lamps, weights, and a large statue of the Flavian age (thought to represent Julia (64-91 AD), daughter of Emperor Titus (39-81 AD), found in the sixteenth century. Particularly noteworthy is the “Lapidarium”, which houses a remarkable collection of Latin inscriptions, especially from the first century BC; there are also many late-ancient and medieval inscriptions from the area around Tolentino. These include an inscription on the building “Devil's Bridge”, built in 1268 and designed by “Master Bentivegna”, with five arches supported by massive pillars and a square tower with battlements.
(The name Devil's Bridge comes from a legend that tells of an agreement between St. Nicholas and the devil for construction of this bridge, in exchange for the delivery of the first soul that would pass across. It is said that the Saint was able to cheat the devil, throwing a cheese on the bridge and making sure that the first to go over was an animal.)
Other Tolentino highlights
Nearby there is the 13th century Gothic style Church of St. Francis. The apse is just below the watch tower, which houses several frescoes dating from the 14th century. According to Art criticism, it seems that many paintings are by Allegretto Nucci da Fabriano (1315-1373), hence date from around 1348.
Around here we also see the medieval city walls and tower, of the fifteenth century. Not far from the tower there is a Gothic style Church of San Catervo attached to an ancient Benedictine abbey, and famous for works in the style of Andrea di Cione di Arcangelo, called “Orcagna” (1320 ca.-1368). It houses the sarcophagus of Saints Catervo and Settimia, dating from the fourth century.
Leaving the church, we recommend a visit to the Old Town of Tolentino, with its typically medieval structure, with narrow streets filled with shops of all kinds, and a market.
Abbey of Chiaravalle de Fiastra
Outside the town walls stands the Abbey of Chiaravalle di Fiastra. The Church, a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles, is impressive in size at 72 meters long, 20 wide and 25 high. Beside the Abbey there are buildings that completed the monastic structure, as the Chapter room, 'auditorium', dormitory, "scriptorium", and refectory. The Fiastra Abbey, over the centuries, became one of the largest in central Italy. Its territorial organization was based on large farms called the "Grange", from Latin “granica”, meaning “grain storage”. A hospital for pilgrims, the guest-quarters and infirmary were attached to it. During the centuries, the Abbey was a centre not only of great economic importance, but also cultural and religious; then a slow decline began, and, in the early fifteenth century, it suffered serious damage when it was sacked by “Braccio di Montone”, a famous Soldier of Fortune (born in 1368), but also a patron of artists. Today, after restoration, the old building is used as a place of meeting.
The visit outside the walls of Tolentino and to the ancient Abbey is a fine opportunity to try the many local restaurants and the traditional cuisine of Tolentino, of which the so-called "vinciagrassi" is the most famous dish, along with typical “ciauscolo”, a pork sausage seasoned with garlic paste and fine pepper. Among the wines to be tasted is surely the traditional white wine of “Colli di Macerata”.
See also history of Tolentino