Sant’ Agostino (1720-50) 

According to tradition, the Blessed Angelus of Foligno established the first church and Augustinian convent here.  He was originally a hermit in the community of Blessed John the Good, which joined the newly-formed Augustinian Order in 1254.  He lived at Foligno from 1248 to 1258 and may well have founded the convent during this time.  He returned to spend his last years here and died here in 1312.  His relics are preserved [where ??].

The church was rebuilt in 1308, restructured in the period 1720-50 and re-consecrated in 1753.  It remained in the ownership of the Augustinians until 1810.

Exterior

If you are following Walk I, your first view of the church will be the lovely Renaissance portal (late 15th or early 16th century) that opens onto the right transept.  The campanile, which you can see behind it, survives from the reconstruction of 1308.

You then walk along the right side of the church to the facade, which was built in 1748-50.

Interior of the Church

The interior of the church and its façade (1748-50) representative of the late Baroque style in Foligno.  

Madonna della cintura with saints (1593)

This altarpiece by Felice Damiani is on the 2nd altar on the left.  It depicts the Madonna and Child with SS Augustine and Monica.  Angels hold the Madonna’s girdle (cintura).  [Who are the people below ??]

Cappella del Beato Tomasuccio

The relics of the Blessed Tomasuccio are venerated at the altar of this chapel in the left transept.   The altarpiece (17th century)  of the Blessed Tomasuccio in glory is attributed to Giovanni Domenico Mattei. 

Vestiges of the original Gothic church, including some deteriorated frescoes, can be seen in the chapel [where??]. 

Madonna del Pianto (17th century)

This venerated statue is kept behind the altarpiece on the high altar, and is only visible during an annual commemoration, which still takes place each year on the Sunday nearest to the feast of the Madonna del Pianto (January 14th).   During the first mass on this day, the screen (with an image of the statue that was executed in ca. 1960) is lowered to reveal the statue.  The screen is replaced after the last mass of the day

This statue came from the nearby ancient church of San Leonardo (first documented in 1212), which was destroyed in the bombardment of 1943.  It was first recorded in 1647.  Its veneration became marked in 1703, when Foligno escaped the worst effects of an earthquake that happened on the feast day.  The statue was taken in procession for the first time some two weeks later.  The chapter of St Peter's, Rome paid for a crown of gold in 1713, and Archbishop  Giovanni  Maria Mastai Ferretti of Spoleto (later Pope Pius IX) paid for the decoration of the niche in which the statue was kept in ca. 1830.

The statue represents the richly clothed Madonna and Child, seated on an elaborate gilded wooden throne.  The present throne is a modern copy of the original, which was destroyed in the bombardment.

Crucifixion (early 17th century)

This venerated statue, which was originally on the third altar on the left, is now in the right transept.

Adoration of the shepherds (1610)

This altarpiece is on the 3rd altar on the right is signed by Ventura Salimbeni and dated by inscription.

Baptism of Christ (16th century) 

This altarpiece by Felice Damiani is [where ??]

Ex-Convent

The detour along the street to the left of the church  takes you to the entrance to the ex-convent, with another view of the campanile.  The convent was suppressed in 1810 and housed the seminary (founded in 1649) from 1815.  It was destroyed in the bombardment of 1943 and rebuilt in 1948-50. 

The seminary owned the Biblioteca Ludovico Jacobilli from 1664, when Jacobilli died:  the collection, which is still available to the public, was kept in this building until June 2008, when it moved to Piazza San Giacomo (see Walk I).

Return to Walk I.