Description
The church, dedicated to the Bishop St. Germain who was especially revered by the monks of Montecassino, dates back to 1428, as we can see by the engraving on the portal of the façade . The adjacent dwelling, which was used by shepherds during the transhumance, was probably not however built before the 19th century. Recently, a wooden roof structure was built to protect the partially collapsed dwelling. Even today this complex welcomes the faithful on the last Sunday of July. In the past they used to gather small stones from near the church which they wrapped in simple cloths and then used to treat fever. After healing, the stones and the bundles were hung in the church as a sign of gratitude.
Description
Originally the floor plan of the church was of a rectangular hall, covered by a plastered barrel vault, whose remains can still be seen near the presbytery. The façade was originally designed with a horizontal pediment in order to hide the outer roof supports, as can be seen by the visibile remains on the left-hand side. After the many earthquakes that struck the area, a long sloping buttress wall was built along the right-hand side of the building in order to relieve the pressure caused by the barrel vault of the roof of the church.
The little bell tower, located almost in the centre of the complex, is the result of a 1985 reconstruction funded by the Cultural Association of Pacentro, and thanks to the work of the Pacentro stonemason Ferdinando De Angelis .
Inside the church, the single marble altar, surmounted by a stone shrine, contains a half-bust statue of the titular saint .
