San Ponziano is a Romanesque-style, former-Benedictine monastery and church located in Spoleto, Umbria, Italy. The site is dedicated to St. Ponziano, the patron saint of Spoleto.
A Benedictine monastery for male monks was present at the site before the 14th century. The present structure was extensively refurbished in 1788 by Giuseppe Valadier, who retained much of the Romanesque façade while the interiors received Neoclassic decoration. The crypt maintains frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries and houses a reliquary with the skull of San Ponziano, which is included in a procession on his feast days.
In 1810, the monastery, which then housed Benedictine nuns, was suppressed by the Napoleonic government. Today, the basilica and monastery are operated by a community of Canonesses Regular of the Lateran. The canonesses operate the ancient monastery as a religious guesthouse, open to all.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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