It’s one of the oldest and more impressive Romanesque churches in San Severino Marche. It was probably built over the remains of the temple of the goddess Feronia by monks right in the centre of the town and it exercised its power over a vast territory. “Doliolo” probably refers to the old tradition of the monks to offer wine to people during the holidays in a “doliolum”, a wineskin.
This is the place where the bishop Saint Severino, who later became the patron- saint of the town, made his spiritual retreat in the 6th century.
Noteworthy are the crypt and the sacristy, where many frescoes by the Salimbeni brothers and their school can be seen. Among them the history of St. Andrew in the crypt and those of St. Eustachius in the sacristy, with an original sepia monochome. Little is left of the green monochrome in the two ogival archways in the sacristy representing the history of the twelve months.
The church dates back to the 11th century although it’s been changed considerably at a later time.
One of the Medieval additions was the belfry, characterized by a lower part made of stone and an upper part made of bricks, which was built before the year 1305. The inner part is divided into a nave and two aisles based on columns with renovated capitals. The presbytery is raised above the crypt.
Due to the earthquake occurred in 2016, the abbey is closed. For further information please write to: numeroverde.turismo@regione.marche.it