First documented in 1361, the church of the Madonna Bianca—also known as Santa Maria Nuova di Ancarano or Santa Maria dell'Annunziata—stands near Sant'Angelo di Ancarano along the road between Norcia and Preci. It was established by residents who relocated after the nearby hillside settlement of Castelfranco was ruined, likely by the 1328 earthquake.
What to see
The exterior features a five-arched facade portico built around 1522 in the style of Spoleto Cathedral, bearing a Lateran coat of arms. Its late-Gothic white stone portal, executed by Lombard stonemasons, displays slender columns and stylophoric lions, positioned next to a shrine frescoed by the Sparapane workshop. The right flank includes a six-arched porch paved with local stone slabs and a single-aperture bell tower. Inside, the right nave contains a 1476 fresco cycle attributed to Antonio Sparapane showcasing scenes from the life of Mary, alongside lower-register ex-voto panels such as Saint Amicus leading a wolf. In the presbytery, the right chapel holds the 1488 white marble relief of the Madonna Bianca attributed to Francesco di Simone Ferrucci, housed inside a 1511 carved wooden tabernacle signed Marinangelus. The left chapel displays a wooden Crucifix attributed to Benedetto da Maiano inside a 1513 wooden niche crafted by the Seneca workshop of Piedivalle.
Visiting
Following severe structural damage during the October 30, 2016 earthquake, emergency shoring of the building was carried out in early 2017. Key portable treasures, including the marble Madonna Bianca relief, the wooden Crucifix, their carved tabernacles, and the church bell, were safely relocated to secure restoration depositories.
Our editors' tip
When examining the lower row of ex-voto frescoes along the right nave, look for the unusual depiction of Saint Amicus, the patron saint of woodcutters, rendered holding a wolf on a leash.