Description

Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta is located in Rosciolo, a district of Magliano dei Marsi. The church was built during the 11th century, and it is extremely important. It was built in an isolate location, near the entrance of the Porclaneta Valley, at the foot of Mount Velino, not too far away from the ancient medieval settlement of Rosciolo.

Between 1077 and 1080, the fortified center – along with the "Monasterium Sancte Marie in valle Porclaneci" – was donated to the abbot Desiderio di Montecassino by count Berardo III.

The church has a long and troubled history: in 1268 it was destroyed during the Battle of Tagliacozzo between Conradin of Hohenstaufen and Charles of Anjou. In 1372 it was abandoned by the monks, and the Marsican dioceses and the noble families of Orsini and Colonna fought for its possession. In 1424, Jacovella da Celano ordered a restoration of the church, and in 1915 it was severely damaged by the earthquake, only to be restored in 1930 and 1967.

The church preserved the original plant, characterized by simple and essential spaces and fine decorations. Inside, you will be able to admire three prestigious architectural elements: the ambon, the ciborium, and a rare wooden iconostasis, held by four small columns with decorated capitals.