Abbey of San Cassiano – Narni

Description

The 10^th century Benedictine Abbey of San Cassiano is situated near Narni (TR). The church is laid out on a Greek cross, divided into three naves by round arches which rest on columns whose capitals become cross supports at the intersection with the arms of the building. The wooden truss roof is a reproduction of the original. The façade is located at the top of a flight of steps and features four pitched roofs, a round arched splayed portal (oblique-cut wall) with frescoed lunette and a large bezel of local stone. The higher register of the façade has a mullioned window with elegant columns and three small oculi. The square-shaped bell tower was rebuilt on the site of an ancient tower adjacent to the church and is enlivened by a series of elegant double windows with stone columns.

The monastery complex, partially surrounded by walls that probably date to the 15^th century, is situated around the church. The date 1334, written on the walls of the monastery, refers to the year when structural work carried out on the church culminated in the creation of the portal, monastery and bell tower. These structural works are proof of the abbey's importance from the 14^th century through to 1532 when it became an ecclesiastical benefice which led to the abbey's subsequent decline and its later abandonment by the monks. The property was eventually sold in 1849 to private individuals. The profound state of neglect, which caused the plunder of furnishings and documents belonging to the building, was only brought to an end when the Italian government carried out restoration work in the 1970s. The work revealed the original Greek cross layout which had been transformed into a basilica plan with three naves in the 14th century. Today the abbey is once again a residence for Benedictine monks.

Position on map