Sanctuary of SS. Crocifisso

The construction of the Sanctuary of the Holy Crucifix dates back to 1333, as evidenced by the terracotta inscription on the arch of the Sienese-style portal. The church is very ancient and is one of the most characteristic medieval buildings in our Diocese.

The façade, despite some modifications in the following centuries, retains the typical characteristics of medieval architecture with Romanesque and Gothic arches. It was built with a single altar, dedicated to Pope Gregory the Great, near which the Confraternity of the Agonizers was erected, for the recitation of the prayers of the dying every Friday of the year and for the ringing of the death knell for the deceased of Montalboddo. The two altars were built many centuries later, around ‘700. The splendid wooden crucifix, the work of the sculptor Bartolomeo Silvestri da Verrucchio, which stands out above the high altar, also dates back to the same period. The sculptor, who was also a surgeon, rendered with an incredible realistic effect the anatomy of the suffering body of Christ, represented in the act of pronouncing his last words.