Belforte del Chienti is a comune (municipality) in the province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about southeast of Macerata.
Physical geography
Belforte del Chienti borders the following municipalities: Caldarola, Camporotondo di Fiastrone, Serrapetrona, Tolentino.
The church of San Giovanni once linked to a Benedictine monastery, and the church of Sant'Eustachio a Belforte del Chienti are present in the town.
History
The name of the town derives from the happy geographical position and indicates precisely a "Bel Forte" or "beautiful fortress".
The castle built in the twelfth century was immediately part of the jurisdiction of Camerino until 1255 when it allies with Tolentino to surrender to the latter city in 1256. The official passage to Tolentino took place under Henry II Ventimiglia in 1260.
In 1435 Belforte was annexed to the domains it already had in the Francesco Sforza area.
Subsequently, the history of Belforte del Chienti became part of that of the Papal States first and then the new Italian state.
Monuments and places of interest
Church of Sant'Eustachio
It is located in the town square and documents mention it from 1218, although its present form dates back to the period following the 1741 earthquake, as reported in an epigraph on the external wall on which it is written: Turris haec / a fulm [ ine] ac terrem [otu] / percussa / restau [rata] fuit / a [nno] Domains / MDCCXXXXI //. Translation: This tower, after being struck by lightning and an earthquake, was restored in the year of the Lord 1741. Its interior houses the spectacular polyptych made by Giovanni Boccati in 1468. The work, enclosed in an elaborate and precious frame in gilded wood, measuring 4.83 m high and 3.25 m wide. It consists of twelve panels, five of which form the lower register and seven the upper one; from eighteen mirrors of which six are inserted in the lateral pillars and twelve in the predella, and from five medallions. Overall, the figured tables amount to thirty-five; to these are added the two side scrolls with the inscriptions in which the names of the customers and the year of execution appear. The painter's signature is located on the step at the base of the throne of the Virgin. After the recent restoration, the work has found its ancient location near the main altar. Continuing along the right wall, there is a painting showing the Madonna and Child (also called Madonna against the storms), Saint Eustace and Saint Eleuterio. As soon as you enter the church, on the left, you can see the statue of Saint Eustace on board his horse, a work carried in procession during the feast of the patron saint (May 20).
Church of San Sebastino
Outside the inhabited center, almost behind the city walls (in fact called in Latin "extra moenia"), there is the restored and, over time, enlarged church of San Sebastiano, built under authorization issued by the bishop of Camerino in 1479 to protect the plague. The first thing that stands out as soon as you are in front of this church is the portal decorated with terracotta tiles. Its interior is divided into two naves by three arches that support the roof. The bell of the binnacle during the last restorations was removed and is now kept in the Belfortese Town Hall. An ancient document reports that in the place of worship there were two altars dedicated to San Sebastiano and San Rocco. Its interior walls were adorned with complexes of "ex voto" paintings. The church has been deconsecrated and the building currently houses the headquarters of the M.I.D.A.C (INTERNATIONAL DYNAMIC MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART).
Church of San Giovanni
The foundation of the church dates back to the first half of the 1300s and was initially intended for Benedictine nuns to whom the Dominican friars took over at the end of the 1400s. The church has simple shapes and limited dimensions where there are also frescoes depicting the Nativity and the Madonna del Rosario by Andrea De Magistris from 1558.
Church of Santa Maria di Villa Pianiglioli
The small church is located in the hamlet of Villa Pianiglioli and boasts an interesting series of sandstone bas-reliefs that particularly animate the facade. You can immediately notice the representation of the Santa Maria to the side of which appears the inscription "RUS PIANI OGLIOLI" from which the toponym Pianiglioli derives. There are also three paintings depicting: San Venanzio; Sant'Eustachio holding the town of Belforte on his left hand; the Sacred Conversation.
