San Francesco della Scarpa, Sulmona

Originally dedicated to Mary Magdalene, the church of San Francesco della Scarpa was restored by order of Charles of Anjou, who in 1290 allocated large sums 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 building is decorated with stucco by Lombard artists connected to Pietro Piazzoli; of notable interest is the 15th-century wooden crucifix and some fragments of 14th-century frescoes.

Evocative are the remains of the apse and the monumental side portal, with strong splaying, featuring a fresco in the lunette.