San Francesco della Scarpa, Sulmona

Originally dedicated to Mary Magdalene, the church of San Francesco della Scarpa was restored by the will of Charles of Anjou, who in 1290 allocated substantial funds for the expansion of the building. The earthquake destroyed much of the church, which was rebuilt in Baroque style, but detached from the surviving structures.

The new central-plan layout is decorated with stucco by Lombard artists associated with Pietro Piazzoli; of notable interest is the 15th-century wooden crucifix and some fragments of 14th-century frescoes.

The remains of the apse and the monumental lateral portal, characterized by a deep splay and a fresco in the lunette, are evocative.