On our way to visit the water garden at the Villa D'Este
John and I noticed a Romanesque church right next door.
Santa Croce in Santa Maria Maggiore has a strong religious atmosphere. It also seems to have escaped renovation in the Baroque period.
The arched decoration of the ceiling looks original. Those are dozens of candelabra hanging down around the altar.
The church has some "spooky" elements like this wonderfully garish Christ figure.
The furnishing of this saint's chapel seems eerie too.
Saint Francis?
Off to one side we found a Renaissance sculpture beside a much older fresco.
A pilgrim, perhaps, or a monk?
A painted heraldic symbol of the Este family.
A young monk reads a text near a sculpture of Padre Pio. Santa Croce in Santa Maria Maggiore is a step into an "other" world. Worth a visit.
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