Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo al Passo

The Church of San Michele Arcangelo stands in Passo San Ginesio, the modern settlement along the valley road. Built between 1958 and 1962 and consecrated in 1965, its hexagonal plan, exposed concrete and local stone offer an example of twentieth-century religious architecture in the Marche.

Why it matters

San Michele Arcangelo was built to serve the growing community at Passo San Ginesio. In 1979 the diocese requested the transfer of the parish seat from San Giovanni Battista at Campanelle; a decree of the President of the Republic confirmed the change in 1983. The church's construction and furnishings reflect post-war religious architecture and community life.

What to notice

The hexagonal structure combines reinforced concrete with a facing of rosacee stone. Concrete remains exposed at the entrance and along the roof, where the campanile branches into six parts; bells were planned but never installed. A projecting entrance is crowned by a triangular polychrome glass window. Inside, an arabesque marble floor in red, grey and white centres on a large cross. Arnaldo Mazzanti made the crucifix, tabernacle, ambo and baptismal front. A cantoria above the entrance is reached by a concrete stair fixed to the wall.

Context and history

Construction of the church and canonica ran from 1958 to 1962, with consecration in 1965. The first parish priest, Don Pietro Paolo Ferretti, established a parish archive and library, gathering registers, photographs and studies of the local churches along with documents from the former San Giovanni Battista archive. Cataloguing resumed in 2011 after an interruption in the 1990s. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Camerino.