Chiesa di San Sebastiano

San Sebastiano stands at the summit of the walled village of Piticchio, in Arcevia’s countryside. Its carved and gilded wooden altarpiece setting preserves a notable ensemble associated with Ercole Ramazzani.

Why it matters

The church connects the religious life of a small fortified settlement with the artistic culture of the surrounding district. Ramazzani’s paintings bring the language of Mannerism into this compact village setting.

What to notice

The wooden dossale frames three canvases and two smaller panels. Its architectural structure and gilding unite the separate painted elements into a single composition.

Context and history

The church belongs to Piticchio’s fifteenth-century architectural fabric. The settlement was recorded among the possessions of the Bishop of Senigallia in 1223 and became part of Roccacontrada, now Arcevia, in the late thirteenth century. Its later walls and clustered houses form the setting of the parish church.