Sant'Eufemia Spoleto, Italy

Overview

Sant'Eufemia is a notable Romanesque church in Spoleto. Built in the 12th century over a Lombard palace and overlooking the Piazza del Duomo, it is famed for its unique women's galleries high above the nave. It is no longer used as a church and can only be accessed with admission to the Museo Diocesano next door.

History

Sant'Eufemia was built in the 12th century on the site of an 8th-century Lombard ducal palace, incorporating spoils from that palace as well as earlier Roman monuments.

Description

The east end of Sant'Eufemia can be seen from the stairs leading down to the Piazza del Duomo. The three tall apses that protrude from this end of the building reveal its unique interior design. The west facade, at the entrance to the church, has a single central portal.

There is very little decoration on the exterior or interior, save for some small hanging arches beneath the eaves. The interior is barely lit by the narrow Romanesque windows.

The highlight of the church is the architecture of the nave, with its two-story side aisles and tall apses that stretch the full height of the church. The arched galleries were used to segregate women from the men, who worshiped in the main nave below. This configuration is the only one of its kind to survive in Umbria.

Other notable details include a brightly painted fresco of God the Father high up in the apse, older murals on some of the pillars, and two pillars (presumably from the ducal palace) carved with Lombard motifs.