Italian artworks

Inland from Cefalù, on the immediate foothills of the Madonie Mountains, Collesano retains its period appearance around the remains of the Norman castle, with narrow streets connected by alleys and stairways that converge on Piazza Garibaldi. The latter leads to Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which is overlooked by a spectacular staircase of the Chiesa Madre ("Mother Church"), originally from the late 15th century though with a 20th-century façade. A Gothic-Catalan doorway is notable on the right flank, while inside there are statues from the circle of the 15th–16th century sculptor Antonello Gagini, 16th–17th century paintings, and a grandiose carved wooden apparatus culminating in a mid-16th century cross painted on both sides. In Collesano, there is an information point of the Madonie Park (in Viale Vincenzo Florio) and a museum, set up in a municipal building on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, documenting the history of the Targa Florio, one of the first motor races ever organised in the world.

Cerzeto stands at about 500 m above sea level in the Crati valley, part of the Paolano Apennines, amid forests of ancient beech, oak and olive trees. The historic centre still has all the charm of a village from bygone days, with its long narrow streets, stone buildings, archways and wrought-iron balconies. The churches are certainly a highlight, particularly that of Saints Peter and Paul, with a beautiful polychrome marble altar, the church of St Nicholas, dedicated to the patron saint, and the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Cerzeto is also home to the Albanian-speaking ethnic minority known as the Arberëshë, who settled in Calabria in the 15th century. The community's strong identity and traditions are cherished and kept alive by the local population (the women's beautiful traditional dress is an example), and can be seen in the Arberëshë Folk Museum.

An extremely pleasant natural and panoramic setting, dominating all the valleys of Porto Maurizio, surrounds the sanctuary's two buildings: the Romanesque chapel of 13th-century origin, on the site where a miraculous apparition was said to have occurred, and the main church added during the 15th century, with a portico on columns on the façade, and hanging arch cornices along the sides and the apses. A volunteer association takes care of the place, helping to maintain what are considered the most important frescoes in the Imperia region under the pointed arches of the church. On the left nave and the corresponding apse, the Last Judgement, the Punishment of the Damned (datable to the 1580s) and Stories of St. John the Baptist are portrayed, while the Passion of Jesus and Stories of St. James (slightly later) appear in the right nave and apse. The frescoes in the central apse are 17th-century, above remains of others from the 15th century. Later, when side altars were removed to recover the frescoes, the main one was kept: it seems out of place, but its presence bears witness to the phases of history.

From Borgo Foce, the western quarter of Porto Maurizio, you can walk up Monte Gagliardone - not a real hike: just a walk - which has been called Monte Calvario since the end of the 17th century: a priest returning from Palestine had been successful in having a shrine built on the upper square. Most of all, it is the view as far as Oneglia and Capo Berta that is worth seeing, but it is also possible to visit the church and the small Museum of the Brotherhood, both of which have been run by the Holy Trinity Brotherhood since their beginnings, with works of art, ceremonial garments, processional insignia, relics and documents also collected from similar Ligurian institutions. It must be acknowledged that the meadow around the Sanctuary can also be reached by car, but a walk from sea level is advisable because of the ambience of the Salita Monte Calvario in which you are moving, after having taken a right from the church of San Benedetto Revelli and started walking on the cobblestones. The views of the sea, the Parasio and, inland, the olive groves as far as Monte Faudo certainly pay off. Furthermore, the pedestrianised waterfront from Borgo Foce almost to the entrance of the Salita Monte Calvario is called the Lovers' Promenade.

Of the castles built by the historic Challant dynasty along the Ayas Valley, this is the most impressive and perhaps the most significant. The ruins near Arcesaz can be reached by taking a secondary road that branches off from the regional highway in the valley and then climbing a short, final path through a cherry forest. Once you reach the top of the hill, it is impossible not to take a picture of the tower, which is complete since the renovations carried out at the end of the 19th century under the direction of a leading restorer, the architectAlfredo d'Andrade. D'Andrade was a very active restorer, especially in Piedmont (the Borgo Medievale in Turin is essentially his work) and Liguria. Architecturally, Graines belongs to the oldest type of Valdostan fortifications, with a simple and clear layout: inside the fortified wall around the tower, all that remains are the walls, the partly decorated apse, the facade and the bell tower of a chapel dedicated to St Martin. Never involved in major military operations, Graines was above all the tangible sign of administrative power over the territory. From the mid 18th century onwards, it had been gradually abandoned.

Apart from the Challant castles – some of which are in ruins – the most notable historical building in Val d'Ayas is the parish church in the main town, which was partially rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century, but retains its 15th-century square bell tower, with elegant single lancet windows at the height of the belfry, and, above all, six original half-height sculptures of saints from the early 16th century on the grandiose high altar. The altar itself, made in around 1710 by artists from Valsesia, is a masterpiece of carving painted with an abundance of gold, while the 16th-century predella with Christ and the apostles to the left of the choir is also noteworthy. To the right of the parish church, its cemetery stands on a very scenic terrace, with a quadrangular-plan chapel commissioned in the late 15th century by the Challants: their coat of arms can be seen on a keystone inside it. A small Museum of Sacred Art houses works recovered from chapels in the valley, including an 18th-century altar, wooden statues, processional crosses and liturgical objects.

Located away from the historic core bounded by the outer walls, it is supported by walls dating back to pre-Roman times. The vast four-sided area of the acropolis is also the site of a market dating back to the Roman Republican era, which evidently housed a number of workshops. On the edge of this area are two mediaeval buildings: the Palace of Innocenzo III and the 13th-century Palace of the Knights Gaudenti. The mighty walls that encircle the entire city are almost intact, despite the interventions of the Middle Ages; they still preserve the gates, including Porta Sanguinaria, the so-called Pentagonal gate, whose pointed arch recalls that of the Greek acropolis of Tiryns, and Porta Maggiore, also known as Porta di Casamari, from the Sillan era. These walls resisted Roman invasion for a long time, which finally came between the end of the 2nd and the beginning of the 1st century BC.

Alatri virtually clings to the slopes of the Ernici mountains. It is an ancient town, founded by the Hernici people, who provided it with a mighty city wall between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC. This did not, however, prevent it from coming under the rule of Rome. The polygonal surrounding walls, about 2 km in extension, are composed of large stone blocks that have survived over time, tampered with in the Middle Ages but still retaining their original layout, with five gates. Porta San Francesco leads from the north to the historical centre, and the main street leads to the acropolis, itself surrounded by cyclopean walls, built in the 2nd century BC upon an older fortification. They are truly immense blocks that fit together perfectly and have remained standing for over two thousand years. It is accessed from Porta Maggiore, or Porta Civita, which is supported by a colossal monolithic lintel of more than five metres. From here you ascend to the green tree-lined square on which stands the cathedral, erected before the year 1000 with later 16th-century alterations and an 18th-century façade. During the Middle Ages, the acropolis was often used by the inhabitants of the town as a refuge, and it was later turned into a fortress. It was not until the 19th century that its restoration began, when the road around its perimeter was also opened. You can enjoy a beautiful panorama from the Civita Gardens over the historic centre below, the plains of Ciociaria and the Ernici mountains. The part of the centre within the city walls is medieval: thus, through narrow streets, alleys and stairways, you can reach Piazza Regina Margherita, on which three churches stand: the 14th-century church of San Francesco; the 13th-century church of Santa Maria Maggiore, of early Christian origin, which houses works of artistic value; and the church of Santa Maria degli Scolopi, in late Baroque style. Also of interest is Palazzo Gottifredo, a 13th-century tower house and site of the Civic Museum.

It is located in the upper Aniene valley, on the edge of the Monte Simbruini Regional Park, of which it is one of the gateways. This is an ancient town, as can be seen from the surrounding walls, which were rebuilt in the 15th century on Roman foundations. On the colossal remains of the ancient acropolis overlooking the village, stands the medieval Caetani fortress. The heart of the town is Piazza della Civita, from where you can wander through the cobbled alleyways of the medieval centre. Leaving the town and heading south along 5 km of winding road, you come to the Arcinazzo uplands, an expanse of undulating land that reaches an altitude of 800 m, and the starting point for many hikes and excursions.

One of the most important churches in medieval Europe, this was once the stage for historic events and ceremonies, which have made Anagni famous. The town has also been a papal seat. Among many notable events in Anagni, the saints canonised here include St Bernard of Clairvaux (1174) and St Clare of Assisi (1255), in 1243 Pope Innocent IV was elected here and Frederick Barbarossa was excommunicated here in 1160. Next to the plain facade stands the majestic Romanesque bell tower, lightened by mullioned and triple lancet windows. Inside the church one is immediately struck by the refined Cosmatesque floor, the array of architectural and decorative elements representing the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, and the wooden triptych of the Saviour on the right nave. But the real treasure is the crypt, dedicated to St Magnus and embellished with a cycle of frescoes depicting the Creation, stories of the Ark of the Covenant, the Apocalypse and the life of St Magnus, patron saint of Anagni. The frescoes are considered masterpieces of the European thirteenth century, in terms of scope and brilliance. Through a narrow passageway, the crypt leads to the oratory of St Thomas Beckett, also frescoed. You can also visit the adjoining Cathedral Museum, itself a treasure trove of wonders, the Treasury, the equisite library, the chapter house, the sacristies, the lapidarium and the archaeological collection, as well as the collections of fine textiles and fabrics.