Collegiate Church of St. Michael Archangel

The main Church of Panicale is dedicated to St. Michael Archangel, patron saint of the Lombard nation. Of early mediaeval origin – the square in front of the façade is included in the first circle of the walls – there was no news until 1159. No trace remains of the primitive building. It was probably rebuilt the first time in 1266. In 1546 the interior was enlarged and a new roof was built supported by three brick arches. Two stone frames and a table with the Nativity scene, once displayed on the main altar, are preserved from the Renaissance church.

In 1618, St. Michael’s obtained the title of Collegiate when Panicale became part of the diocese of Città della Pieve. In 1683, the archpriest Francesco Cavardini decided to remove the main altar and build a new choir for the canonists. During the works, an image of the Madonna was found inside a wall which aroused intense popular devotion and led to the reconstruction of the entire building. The architect Filippo Schinetti da Visso was summoned to carry out the design and he also sculpted the stone cornices of the two portals.

The church has a single nave with tribune, choir and six lateral chapels and is covered by a masonry arch decorated by seven medallions with stories from the life of the Virgin (1702). The high altar dedicated to the Annunziata takes its name from an ancient fresco in the centre of the choir. Paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries and some modern statues are displayed on the altars in the side chapels