Church of Saint Mary of the Dyes
Church of Saint Mary of the Dyes
The building was commissioned by the Guild of Dyers and Wool Weavers, who had lived and worked in this part of the town, for six centuries. The simple entrance portal is made of sandstone. The date of the building’s completion, 1787, is carved on the architrave. The design of the church is attributed to the architect Arcangelo Vici of Arcevia. The interior, in the form of a Greek cross, is embellished with white stuccoes, including statues of the theological virtues (Faith, Hope and Charity) and of the Prophets David and Samuel. On the high altar is a small fresco depicting the Face of the Madonna with Child. This is all that remains of a smaller church that stood here before the present building was completed.
The gilt wood altar in the left chapel is decorated with a precious copy of the Annunciation by Federico Barocci. The Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saints, painted by an artist of the Venetian School in the second half of the 17th century, stands on the left while a small canvas depicting Saint Severus, the patron saint of wool weavers appears on the right. The chapel on the right preserves a painting of the Madonna with Child and Saints Jerome, Francis of Assisi, Horace, Joseph and Onuphrius, attributed to Giovanni Anastasi of Senigallia (1623-1704). Under the altar table is a statue of the Dead Christ (circa 17th century) made from wood and polychrome plaster. To the right hangs a painting of the Crucifixion by Giovanni Francesco Ferri (1701-1775). The painting of Saint Cecilia seen to the right of the entrance is by the same artist, a native of Pergola.
On the right of the high altar stands a dressed statue of the Sorrowful Mother, an artefact that fits into the devotional scheme of 18th-century statuary, which sometimes reused bases and parts of older works.
Also of interest are the benches painted with coats of arms and floral motifs and the terracotta floor with a rose of the winds.
The church is temporarily closed for restoration following damage suffered in the floods of 2022. For information, contact the Museum of Gilt Bronzes (0721 734090)