Oratorio di San Giovanni Decollato
The oratory of St. Giovanni Decollato, on left of the entrance gate to the ancient fortified village of Stroncone, is an authentic jewel of art and architecture. The oratory of St. Giovanni Decollato, on left of the entrance gate to the ancient fortified village of Stroncone, is an authentic jewel of art and architecture.
The oratory of St. Giovanni Decollato, on left of the entrance gate to the ancient fortified village of Stroncone, is an authentic jewel of art and architecture. Seat of the Confraternity, it holds valuable artworks by Giuseppe Bastiani, called Giuseppino from Macerata.
The lateral lunettes carry depictions of four stories of the Saint’s life: Nativity - St. John in the desert - Annunciation to Zaccarias - Visit to the prison of the disciples, whereas the Baptism is represented at the centre of the vault divided into compartments through stucco and grotesque cornices alternated to small landscapes and folders with Latin writings attributable to Battista. The altarpiece of the high altar depicting St. John, painted by Bastiani, is very beautiful. The head of the martyr Saint that inevitably attracts the viewer’s eyes, concentrates the whole pathos of the representation. Two Baroque altars and elegant stucco, made by two artists from Stroncone, the brothers Gregorio and Cristoforo Grimani, complete the inside of this most beautiful church.