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 forms, but detached from the surviving structures.

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

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