Church of St. Michael the Archangel

The Church of St. Michael the Archangel, built on the site of a pagan temple traditionally believed to have been dedicated to Apollo and the Nine Muses, overlooks Piazza Municipio

Its antiquity is testified by frescoes from the 8th–9th centuries, the MC dating on the inscription of the main bell and documentation from the Registers of the Abbey of Montecassino, which speak of a donation by Giovanni di fu Lando in 1104. These elements are testimony to the antiquity of the church and recall its continuity with pagan worship. The church also once served as the residence of the Bishop of Sora. Damaged by the earthquake of 1654, the church was later restored and remodeled. Its Baroque interior features a three-nave Latin cross plan with side chapels and cross vaults. St. Michael’s preserves numerous prestigious works of art, in particular one can admire the large canvas by Cavalier d’Arpino on the high altar, depicting the Archangel Michael victorious over Lucifer as well as the majestic figure of the Eternal Father on the apse vault. Other works by the same artist include The Annunciation, Tobias and the Angel, The Martyrdom of St. Peter and the Stations of the Cross.

On the right aisle, a stationary Cross of the Tuscan school (14th century) is of considerable artistic value. In the sacristy, an oil painting attributed to Francesco Curia, an imitator of Caravaggio, depicts The Baptism of Jesus. Another noteworthy piece is the Madonna and Child by the 17th-century painter Dionigi Ludovisi. The church also houses an 18th-century organ and a walnut pulpit adorned with six putti in relief supported by an eagle and the Baptistery by Michele Stolz, a Tyrolean wood sculptor (1725–1779) who worked in Arpino for many years and is buried beneath the Sacred Heart altar in this church.