CHURCH OF SAN MARCO

HISTORY

The first reliable source regarding the small church of San Marco was found in the 16th century, from the pastoral visit of Monsignor Alfonso Binarino in January 1574. This text highlights the complete absence of decorative furnishings of the altar. The Monsignor forced the city hall to adorn “the altar stripped of decoration,” within three months, with the stipulation that they would receive a fine if it were not done. The municipality responded by filling the space. It is known that in that time, the church already had the appearance that is conserved today: “A little house with a bell-gable, with frescoes of Madonna in trono con Bambino tra santi”. In the municipal Instumenta of the 17th century, we find the district – Contrada San Giuliano – where the church of San Marco is located. On the wall is the fresco, Madonna in trono con Bambino tra San Giuliano l’Ospedaliere e San Marco. The presence of San Giuliano is probably in reference to the placement of the church in the district of the same name.
The iconographic line and structure of the frescoes on the apse wall, the side decorations of the niche and the image of the dove on the ceiling are all indirect reminders of the mid 16th century, therefore describing the frescoes with the term “ante quem.” It is possible to say that the construction of the church of San Marco occurred during the first quarter of the 16th century.   To date, the care and management of the church is delegated to the Associazione Amici di Bagnaia Arte e Storia.

EXTERIOR

The Church of San Marco of Bagnaia (VT) is situated on Via Gianbologna, 100 meters away from the old municipal cemetery, along the road that connects Bagnaia to the freeway E1 (Orte-Viterbo).
The church is completely raised above the street, and there are nine stairs that lead into the door. On the left is the podium. The façade is a simple capanna, devoid of decoration, with a door formed by a simple trilithic structure. Two small stairs at the base of the podium lead into the interior. Above the door, a crescent moon window and two small square windows located on the sides, are the only decorative elements present. A small bell tower overlooks the roof at the end of the building.

INTERIOR

The small church is composed of a single nave with vaulted ceilings and floors made of tile. The ceiling is without decoration except for a painted dove of peace from the 16th century at the edge of the area bordering the apse wall. The undecorated walls are separated from the ceiling by a painted molding. The flooring is terracotta tile. As you enter, on the left wall, is a small stoup made of peperino stone. On the right wall of the counter-façade is a niche with a fresco representing Sant’Agata that is attributed to the mid-16th century. Fragments of decorative grottesche are present on the sidewalls of the niche and the arch. The altar on the apse wall is decorated with plaster stucco paintings. Above the altar is the fresco, Madonna in trono con Bambino tra San Giuliano l’Ospedaliere e San Marco. The presence of San Giuliano is probably in reference to the placement of the church in the district of the same name. The fresco was painted over completely altering the original painting. The fresco is attributed to some time between the end of the 15th century to the beginning of the 16th century, and is a painting of the church of Santo Stefano in the center of the borgo of Bagnaia.
On the left wall is a niche with a fresco of San Giovanni Battista with a scroll saying, “ECCE AGNUS DEI,” attributed to the mid-16th century. Parts of the grottesche decoration are present on the sidewalls of the niche and the arch. The wall ends on the left with a canvas from the 19th century of Tommaso Giusti with Madonna con Bambino.

Translation by Lauren Williamson, Texas A&M University, enrolled in the USAC Viterbo program at the Università degli Studi della Tuscia.

ESSENTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Fonti
I. CIAMPI, Cronache e statuti della città di Viterbo, Firenze 1872, pp. 417-418;
A. ROSSI, Spogli vaticani, in Giornale di erudizione artistica, VI (1877), pp. 204.
C. PINZI, Memorie e documenti inediti sulla Basilica di S. Maria della Quercia a Viterbo, in Arch. stor. dell’arte, III (1890), pp. 300-305 con App. di documenti; Id., Gli Ospizi medioevali e l’Ospedale Grande di Viterbo, Viterbo 1893, p. 134 e documenti XXII, XXIII in App.
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