San Giovanni Profiamma

(12th century)  


A church here dedicated to St John the Baptist was first documented in 1138, when Pope Innocent II confirmed it as a possession of the Bishop Benedetto of Foligno.  It was built using material that seems to have come from a Christian basilica (6th century AD), and also incorporates Roman remains. 

Part of a sarcophagus (6th century AD) is embedded in the right wall (immediately behind the building to the right of the church).



The lower window of the building to the right of the church contains a bust [date??] of St Felician. 





Portal

The portal of the church contains some interesting reliefs:

 

 
A relief to the right of the depicts Pope Gregory IX a killing a dragon.  This is a reference to his fight against heresy: he instituted the Inquisition in February 1231.
  • The inscription at the top right hand corner reads "PAX VOBIS" - Peace be unto you.
  • The inscription along the right edge reads "Filipo me fecit": it is not clear whether Philip made the relief, or the portal. 
  • The lost inscription along the bottom, which is known from a transcription, recorded that the work was carried out in 1231, in the time of Pope Gregory IX. 
The relief opposite side of the depicts a naked man killing a dragon.

Interior

The church has a single nave and elevated presbytery, which is reached by thirteen steps.   The ciborium over the altar is a copy (1903) of that of San Prospero, Perugia, but it incorporates ancient fragments found under the church. 

Madonna of the Rosary (1625)

This altarpiece by Marcantonio Grecchi is [where??].

Crypt (11th century)

The arches to the sides of the steps of the presbytery lead down to the crypt.  Six columns made up of ancient fragments divide it into a nave and two aisles. 

The second column on the left is made from a re-used  architrave (8th century), which is carved with Christian symbols such as the peacock, vines and circles.

 Return to the page "around Foligno".