The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, also known as the Church of San Francesco, è a place of great religious significance located in Calascio, in the province of L’Aquila. This historic and spiritual place, founded by Franciscan Father Mario da Calascio in 1594, embodies both a rich religious legacy and a significant cultural heritage. Father Mario, who in addition to being a noted biblical scholar, grammarian and lexicographer, held the prestigious position of confessor to Pope Paul V.
In the heart of this historic Franciscan complex, which includes both the church and the attached convent, resides a library, enriched by a priceless collection of codices, incunabula and cinquecentine. These ancient treasures, preciously safeguarded by a papal excommunication to prevent theft, contribute to the vast cultural heritage of the place.
Today, the structure not only serves as a place of worship, but also as a conference venue, effectively collaborating tradition and modernityà. The facade of the church is distinguished by its three-arched portico.
Inside the church, one can admire the history through various works of art and artifacts, including a 17th-century ciborium, a painting by Giulio Cesare Bedeschini depicting Francis of Assisi and Louis IX of France, a finely carved wooden candelabrum and a 16th-century terracotta Madonna and Child.
The convent, with its two-story cloister supported by columns and a central well, lends an incredible architectural beauty to the site, which is enriched by wooden altars and Baroque furnishings that bear witness to a bygone era.
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