The San Gratiliano Martire Church in the center of Bassano Romano is dedicated to the patron saint of the city. When constructed, the church was outside the city, but now it is the center of a new housing development.
San Gratiliano Martire Church Bassano Romano
Useful information
The church is located at the intersection of the Strada Provinciale SP40, the Via San Vincenzo, the Via Quattro Novembre and the Via San Gratiliano. Admission is free.
History and description
The San Gratiliano Martire Church used to be in the countryside. owing to the expansion of Bassano, it is now the center of a new district.
The church was built in 1546, in honor of a young martyr who had offered protection to the people of Bassano.
The church consists of a single nave.
What to see
The apse is framed by two pillars painted with frescoes. These paintings consist of grotesque figures interspersed with more classical motifs. Saints such as San Paolo (with a sword) and St. Peter (with the keys) are depicted in a pagan setting, which was quite unusual.
The frescoes on the sides of the church depict scenes from the life of San Gratiliano himself, including his baptism and the healing of the blind Santa Felicissima, as well as the beheading and the moment when his severed head was found in the spot where the church is now located.
The painting behind the high altar shows San Gratiliano holding up a reproduction of Bassano Romano with one hand and the martyr’s palm with the other. It is by local artist Cristoforo Bollini and was painted in 1757.