Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore

The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is Spello's principal religious building and a repository of Umbrian art. Its Romanesque portal, Deruta maiolica floor and Baglioni Chapel preserve works spanning several centuries.

Why it matters

A church is documented on the site by the eleventh century. In 1187 Henry VI placed it under imperial protection and a college of canons was established, giving the church collegiate status. It remained a central institution in Spello until the suppression of the chapter in 1860.

What to notice

The thirteenth-century portal is attributed to the stoneworkers Binello and Ridolfo. Inside, the maiolica floor made in Deruta in 1566 is one of the church's distinctive features. The apse pilasters carry frescoes attributed to Perugino, dated 1512, and the high altar has a tabernacle by Rocco da Vicenza from 1515. In the Baglioni Chapel, Pinturicchio's frescoes reflect the patronage of the Baglioni family.

Context and history

The church was substantially rebuilt in 1644, though its medieval portal and other earlier works remain. The Chapel of the Sepolcro preserves painted panels by Cola Petruccioli, including one dated 1385, and works by Niccolò Alunno. After the canons were suppressed, the church became part of the ordinary parish structure of the Diocese of Foligno.