Santa Maria and San Ciriaco Church

The parish church of Santa Maria and San Ciriaco represents the spiritual and artistic hub of Altidona, safeguarding a legacy that has its roots in the ancient settlement of vicolo Santa Maria. The current structure is the result of a profound transformation that occurred in the 18th century when the parish title was transferred to the pre-existing church of San Michele, which was entirely renovated according to the strict standards of neoclassical style. The exterior is characterized by the imposing profile of the bell tower erected in 1886, designed by the architect Giovanni Battista Alesi.
Crossing the threshold, the single-nave interior reveals an artistic layering of exceptional value. On the right side, the 18th-century devotion is expressed in the canvases by Natale and Ubaldo Ricci, with special mention of the Madonna of Loreto surrounded by a host of saints beloved by local tradition. The heart of the presbytery holds the most ancient treasure: a polyptych from 1390 signed by Cristoforo Cortese, where the serene fixity of the Madonna with Child is softened by the liveliness of the side saints. No less significant is the altarpiece by Vincenzo Pagani, which stages a visual dialogue between the Virgin on the throne, Saint Matthew, and a warrior-armed Saint Michael the Archangel. The heritage is completed by a polychrome wooden Madonna of Mercy from the 16th century, a rare silver embossed processional cross, and the monumental organ in the counter-facade, created by the master Giuseppe Grelli.