Collegiata di San Michele Arcangelo

The Collegiate Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Bevagna is a Romanesque church on Piazza Silvestri, with reused Roman stonework and later paintings.

Why it matters

As the principal church of medieval Bevagna, San Michele formed one side of the town's historic civic and religious square. Its structure preserves Romanesque architecture, while later works document devotional changes over subsequent centuries.

What to notice

The travertine facade has carved protomes and a portal whose jambs reuse Roman frames. Inside, three naves lead to a raised presbytery above a crypt with four aisles and reused columns. The church contains seventeenth-century works, including frescoes by Andrea Camassei, as well as chapels and furnishings from later periods.

Context and history

The church's origins reach back to at least the late eleventh century, with the principal Romanesque fabric developed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It is associated with the masters Binello and Rodolfo, also linked to neighbouring San Silvestro. Eighteenth-century stucco was removed during restoration between 1951 and 1957, revealing the medieval interior. A fifteenth-century wooden crucifix group is now preserved in the Civic Museums of Bevagna.