Chiesa dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Why it matters

The Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Spoleto preserves votive paintings added over several centuries. Its walls form a record of individual devotion, with images dating from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. The building stands in the Vaita Filitteria, the early Christian quarter of the city.

What to notice

The exterior is built of local stone and incorporates Roman spolia. A large fresco of the Madonna with four saints survives on the outer wall. Inside, the church has a single hall and a raised presbytery above a crypt. The fresco of the Martyrdom of Thomas Becket, dated to the first quarter of the thirteenth century in the municipal description, is among the early depictions of the archbishop's assassination. Other votive images reflect the devotional choices of individual donors.

Context and history

An inscription records the church's consecration in 1174. Its dedication honours John and Paul, brothers martyred in fourth-century Rome. The church served the surrounding quarter through the medieval and modern periods, and successive generations added to its painted decoration.