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![abbazia notturna (foto Domenico Roselli)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/abbazia-notturna-foto-Domenico-Roselli-300x201.jpg)
The church stands on a pre-existing monastic cell, probably ascribable to the Benedictine Convent of St. Angel in Bareggio (years 800-850 AD). The curtem serulae, property of the monks of Farfa, who first brought the Christian message in the valley, is mentioned in a document of 820 AD. The higher “Peschio”, at the Castle, paired up with the court: the double settlement will merge to generate Pescasseroli. This is documented in the papal bull of 1115 by Pope Paschal II, citing “ecclesia Sancti Pauli ad Pesculum Serulae”, but the name of the village remains “compound” for a long time (for example we read PeschioAserulo in a map from the sixteenth century in the Vatican Gallery of Maps).
![portale dell'abbazia dopo il restauro della facciata nel 2014; la lunetta fu scolpita da Ermenegildo Di Pirro, il portone è opera di don Peppe (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/portale-dellabbazia-dopo-il-restauro-della-facciata-nel-2014-la-lunetta-fu-scolpita-da-Ermenegildo-Di-Pirro-il-portone-è-opera-di-don-Peppe-foto-Stefano-Dark-225x300.jpg)
The twentieth-century restoration removed many Baroque superstructures unearthing architectural lines of the fifteenth century. An aerial bombardment of November 1, 1943 caused serious damage to the roof, making the building temporarily condemned. In the twentieth century renowned artisans of Pescasseroli realised embellishments in wood, on the doors, and in stone of Mount Gentile, as the baptismal font and the lunette on the main portal.
![Altare sinistro della Madonna Incoronata. La statua si dice proveniente secoli fa dalla Puglia risalendo le vie della transumanza (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Altare-sinistro-della-Madonna-Incoronata.-La-statua-si-dice-proveniente-secoli-fa-dalla-Puglia-risalendo-le-vie-della-transumanza-foto-Stefano-Dark-199x300.jpg)
The interior has three naves. Besides the major one, in the past it had more altars. Of them, two side ones remain, adorned with marble. In the right aisle there is St. Joseph. The left altar, with the displayed wooden statue and some historical garments, is dedicated to the small statue of the Crowned Black Madonna. The original statue was relocated here from a chapel of the Castle around the 15th century. On September 8, 1752 it was solemnly crowned, with the dispatch of a precious gold crown from the Vatican Chapter.
![l'antica e venerata statuina lignea dell'Incoronata sul trono, con Gesù bambino a sinistra e il il globo nella mano destra (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lantica-e-venerata-statuina-lignea-dellIncoronata-sul-trono-con-Gesù-bambino-a-sinistra-e-il-il-globo-nella-mano-destra-foto-Stefano-Dark-225x300.jpg)
The ancient cult of the “Saint brown Image” is linked to transhumance through the cattle track, has remained high over the centuries, it was brought by emigrants to Buffalo (USA) and is still strongly felt. Devotion was well described in Sacred Poetry by the poet Francesco Saverio Sipari in 1852, and it was mentioned in the historical novel The spotless favored one by Vittorio Emanuele Bravetta in 1936. Also the feast of September 8 has extensive bibliography.
![fontana del 1600 visibile nella sacrestia e restaurata nel 2007 (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/fontana-del-1600-visibile-nella-sacrestia-e-restaurata-nel-2007-foto-Stefano-Dark-225x300.jpg)
The apse of the abbey preserves a silver processional crucifix of Sulmona school of the first half of 1400; a walnut choir and a carved lectern, both baroque; reliquaries of the Neapolitan school of 1600 and a modern organ. The statues of the two patron saints of Pescasseroli are of 1700. Other interesting notes of art and architecture are shown on the panel of the square.
![fregio cinquecentesco su una volta a crociera (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/fregio-cinquecentesco-su-una-volta-a-crociera-foto-Stefano-Dark-300x225.jpg)
The parish archives preserve documents from 1700, including the baptismal certificate of Benedetto Croce born in the Sipari Palace on February 25, 1866.
![il muro della sacrestia restaurato nel 1882 (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/il-muro-della-sacrestia-restaurato-nel-1882-foto-Stefano-Dark-300x225.jpg)
Sideways, along via della Chiesa, there are houses with scarp walls, via Porta Piccola and vico Purgatorio. On the back there is the sacristy. The upstream side meets Corso Plistia.
![Infiorata del 1990 (foto don Vincenzo De Mario)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Infiorata-del-1990-foto-don-Vincenzo-De-Mario-241x300.png)
![la Tomba, tradizionale falò della notte natalizia (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/la-Tomba-tradizionale-falò-della-notte-natalizia-foto-Stefano-Dark-300x169.jpg)
![Una delle vetrate multicolore e istoriate, cioè ornate con raffigurazioni storico-religiose. Le monofore sono tutte in stile gotico (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Una-delle-vetrate-multicolore-e-istoriate-cioè-ornate-con-raffigurazioni-storico-religiose.-Le-monofore-sono-tutte-in-stile-gotico-foto-Stefano-Dark-225x300.jpg)
![Vecchia foto della piazza della chiesa. All'angolo, uno dei primi alberghi del paese (foto PNALM)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Vecchia-foto-della-piazza-della-chiesa.-Allangolo-uno-dei-primi-alberghi-del-paese-foto-PNALM-300x204.jpg)
![Notturno della cella campanaria con fori ad arco a tutto sesto. Le quattro campane scandiscono continuamente il tempo, le celebrazioni e i momenti particolari del giorno](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Notturno-della-cella-campanaria-con-fori-ad-arco-a-tutto-sesto.-Le-quattro-campane-scandiscono-continuamente-il-tempo-le-celebrazioni-e-i-momenti-particolari-del-giorno-225x300.jpg)
![Particolare del portone in legno realizzato dall'artigiano pescasserolese don Peppe (Giuseppe Pandolfi). Rappresenta la processione dell'8 settembre per l'Incoronata](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Particolare-del-portone-in-legno-realizzato-dallartigiano-pescasserolese-don-Peppe-Giuseppe-Pandolfi.-Rappresenta-la-processione-dell8-settembre-per-lIncoronata-225x300.jpg)
![capitelli di una colonna nell'abbazia (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/capitelli-di-una-colonna-nellabbazia-foto-Stefano-Dark-300x225.jpg)
![coro e leggio settecenteschi in abbazia (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/coro-e-leggio-settecenteschi-in-abbazia-foto-Stefano-Dark-300x225.jpg)
![decorazioni di stile tardo rinascimentale sul timpano della finestra quadrangolare della facciata, che sostituì un più antico rosone gotico (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/decorazioni-di-stile-tardo-rinascimentale-sul-timpano-della-finestra-quadrangolare-della-facciata-che-sostituì-un-più-antico-rosone-gotico-foto-Stefano-Dark-300x225.jpg)
![Abside e altare centrale con crocefisso e organo a canne. Un tempo la chiesa ebbe 12 altari (foto Stefano Dark)](http://turismopescasseroli.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Abside-e-altare-centrale-con-crocefisso-e-organo-a-canne.-Un-tempo-la-chiesa-ebbe-12-altari-foto-Stefano-Dark-300x169.jpg)
Text by Stefano Dark – Images by Domenico Roselli, NPALM and Stefano Dark
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