Castelseprio (archaeological park)

Lore & Background

Castelseprio originated as a Roman fort commanding an important crossroad. During the early Middle Ages, the Lombards occupied it, turning it into a fortified citadel or small town, where coins were minted. The Church of Santa Maria foris portas, containing the famous frescoes, lay just outside the walls. The whole citadel was completely destroyed by Ottone Visconti, Archbishop of Milan, after he captured it in 1287, to prevent its reuse by rivals. Investigations into the church began in 1934, and the frescoes were uncovered below later plaster in 1944.

Reader's Guide

The significance of Castelseprio lies primarily in the frescoes of Santa Maria foris portas, which are of exceptional rarity and artistic quality. The Italian Ministry of Culture described them as 'the finest early medieval pictorial cycle in terms of artistic quality' and 'unique in early medieval European art.' The frescoes show strong Byzantine influence, but also draw on late antique Italian art and possibly Syrian or Egyptian Christian art. Their dating and the origin of the painter or painters remain controversial, though the first half of the 9th century is emerging as the most likely date. The site also includes remains of a 5th-century basilica, a baptistry, and other structures, and in 2011 became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Did You Know?

• The frescoes were rediscovered in 1944 after being hidden under later plaster.
• The church's name 'foris portas' means 'outside the gates' in Latin.
• The site was completely destroyed in 1287 by Archbishop Ottone Visconti of Milan.
• The frescoes may depict either the Nativity of Christ or the Life of the Virgin, a matter of scholarly controversy.