by Carlo Favetti
FERENTILLO (Terni) – From the volume “Ferentillo Segreta History of a Principality – the places of Art and the Spirit – the abbey of San Pietro in Valle Suppegna”, I deepened in the description, especially as regards the apse, and the fresco roof made by the so-called “Eggi master”.
This Umbrian – Spoleto painter who left us a vast heritage of paintings scattered almost everywhere, especially in the Spoleto valley, Valnerina, in addition to the town of Eggi (church of San Michele Arcangelo). However, we find him triumphant here in the apse of the abbey church of San Pietro in Valle Suppegna in Macenano di Ferentillo to be exact. Of these frescoes in the abbey we have possible dates that attest to his activity from 1435 to 1451, as well as in the church of San Severo and in that of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Spoleto; in the church of San Valentino in Ceselli di Scheggino; probably also in the rock chapel of the Madonna del Rosario in Terria di Ferentillo (in my opinion). Moving further up, towards Norcia, there was a triptych in the church of the hermit in Piedipaterno di Vallo di Nera, but unfortunately stolen; another work in the church of San Francesco also in Vallo. We have works from his school in San Giovanni di Borgiano and Santo Stefano di Matrignano. But let us return to the presence of the master in this abbey church. The paintings, as mentioned, occupy the entire apse including the basin: Christ the Master surrounded by angels; Madonna and Child with angels, saints, hermits, apostles. The whole work is dated 1445. The central painting has two narrow windows like a slit with internal slotting. The large fresco is arranged on four execution registers. In the apse, the upper part, as mentioned, the Master Christ inserted in an almond of clouds with his right hand Blesses and the other holds the open book where it is written: EGO SVM / VIA / VERI / TAS / ET VI / TA HERE SEQVUNTVR NON / AMBVLANT / IN TENEB / RIS. The figure of Christ is surrounded by six angels in an act of adoration carrying incenters. In the second register is represented: from the left three Apostles; the Madonna with Child and angels; three other Apostles follow; below is written SANCTVS MARTIALIS ABB. … SANCTVS ELAVTERIVS ABBAS… SANCTVS LAZZARVS ABBAS. In the center stands out, on the throne, St. Benedict with an open book resting on his knee between SANCTVS PLACIDVS holding out the Miter and San Mauro holding out the crosier. Three other monks follow, one of which is identified by the inscription below: SANCTVS JOANNES ABBAS. The last register is solved with geometric shapes decoration with evident traces of a previous fresco. The attribution to the so-called Master of Eggi is given by some stylistic analogies with the paintings executed at San Michele Arcangelo di Eggi. Outside the apse, that is on the pillar on the right, we find a Saint Scholastica with the inscription: LASTICHA VIRGO BENEDICTI SOROR 142 (1420) painted by Abbot Paolo Ancaiani as stated in the inscription placed above ABBAS PAVLVS D. ANCAIANVS; follows a San Benedetto da Norcia with the inscription: S.BENEDICTVS DE NVRSIA; San Mauro Abate, another monk and Santa Ottavia: SAN MAVRVS ABBAS, S.TA OCTAVIA VIRGO. We are faced with works by an artist in my opinion of great talent who was able to give voice and image to people and characters of the church, in a certainly stormy and contradictory period such as that of the fifteenth century, where spirituality was at the service of the powerful. .
