San Liberatore a Maiella facts for kids
San Liberatore a Maiella is an old abbey and church located near Serramonacesca in Abruzzo, Italy. It's a beautiful historical building with a long story.
History of the Abbey
The story of this abbey is often linked to Charlemagne, a famous emperor from a long time ago. You can even see a small piece of a painting of him inside the church! The first building was put up in the 800s.
Around the year 1007, a Benedictine monk named Saint Theobald rebuilt the church. It was named after St. Liberator.
The church you see today was started around 1080. It was rebuilt by Desiderius, who was the abbot (the leader) of a very important monastery called Montecassino.
Over time, the church fell into disrepair. But don't worry! It was carefully fixed up and restored between 1967 and 1971, so we can still enjoy its beauty today.
Architecture and Design
The abbey has a bright white front, which looks very balanced. Next to it stands a square bell tower with three levels. Each level has windows: the bottom has one window, the middle has two, and the top has three. This style is called mullioned windows. The front of the church also has cool vertical designs, typical of the Lombard-Romanesque style.
Inside the Church
When you go inside, you'll see that the church has a main area called a nave and two side areas called aisles. These parts are separated by seven round arches.
The main arches, which used to lead to the special area for the priests (the presbytery), are supported by strong pillars. These pillars have interesting decorations that match the walls of the main area. The ceiling is made of wooden beams, which gives it a rustic feel.
On the left side, there are two decorated doors. These used to be the entrances to the cloister (a courtyard) and the living areas for the monks. One of the doors has a beautiful flower design carved above it, which is common in the Romanesque style of the Abruzzo region.
Unique Floor and Paintings
The floor in the main part of the church has a very special and rare pattern made of geometric shapes. This design dates back to around the year 1200.
The back wall of the church, called the apse, has old paintings from different times. They used to be all together, but after being cleaned up, they are now separated. One painting from the 1500s shows Saint Theobald. Another, from the 1100s, has faint outlines of saints.
You'll also see a square-shaped pulpit, called an ambo, where readings were given. It looks similar to the pulpits found in other famous abbeys nearby, like the San Clemente Abbey and the San Pelino church in Corfinio.
