Church of Santa Maria in Cerulis

Amidst the picturesque hills of the Navelli plain stands the rural church of Santa Maria in Cerulis, built on an ancient pagan cult site with Lombard traces. Originally intended as a resting place for shepherds during the transhumance, the structure blends in with the landscape and conveys a sense of devotion and wonder.

Over the centuries, the church has undergone numerous interventions due to earthquakes, including the relocation of the main entrance on the east side. The interior is decorated with sober frescoes centred on the figure of the Virgin, depicted at various moments in her life, including the Child on the main altar and the Annunciation in a semi-circular niche. There are symbols linked to the Knights Templar, such as crosses and bas-reliefs, including a storm-tossed ship with the inscription “in medio mari portum teneo”.

In the apse are frescoes of female figures and saints, while in the centre of the nave a trapdoor leads to an underground ossuary, where forty medieval mummies were found in 2000. Santa Maria in Cerulis combines mysticism and history, emerging as an enchanting protagonist of an unspoilt natural landscape.