Santa Maria delle Cinque Fonti

(15th century)

Image courtesy of Paolo Rossi 

This tiny church, which was dependent upon the Observant Franciscan Convento della Santissims Annunziata outside Amelia,takes its name from a nearby medieval fountain.   The spring that feeds this fountain has been used since at least Roman times, and some brick channelling that dates to this period has been excavated.

This was the site of an earlier chapel in which St Francis is believed to have preached in 1213.   The alternative name for the present church is San Francesco delle Donne, which harks back to the tradition at St Francis founded a small community  of female penitents here.  

The church contains some interesting  frescoes (14th and 15th centuries), including a number that bear witness to popular devotion to the Madonna and to the plague saints, SS Roch and Sebastian:

Image courtesy of Paolo Rossi

This fresco on the right wall, which is probably the oldest in the church, depicts SS Christopher, Roch and Sebastian.

Image courtesy of Paolo Rossi

This fresco on the left wall shows a sick man praying to the Madonna and Child.  The inscription reveals that he has an injured or diseased leg, and the presence of a coffin suggests that he fears for his life.

Image courtesy of Paolo Rossi

This fresco (dated 1487) on the right wall depicts the Madonna and Child with SS Roch, Sebastian and Bernardino of Siena.   The inscription names the name the donor as Ser Ugolino.