San Marco in Lamis between Pilgrimage Tradition and Karst Landscape
File:Difesa, San Marco in Lamis - panoramio.jpg
Photo: giovanni zagaria via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
San Marco in Lamis between Pilgrimage Tradition and Karst
San Marco in Lamis combines pilgrimage tradition, sacred architectural history and distinctive karst formations.
The Arco di San Marco is a public monument in Piazza Europa. It is dedicated to religious worship and the pilgrimage tradition in this place and stands at the meeting point of the routes leading to the former monastery of Santa Maria di Stignano and the monastery of San Matteo; the arch symbolises the pilgrimage along the Via Sacra Langobardorum–Via Francigena.
Monasteries and Local History
The Convento di San Matteo was built between the 9th and 10th centuries by Benedictines on the site of an existing hospice. The Convento di Santa Maria di Stignano is located along the ancient Via Francigena del Sud towards Monte Sant’Angelo; the church and bell tower were completed there in the 17th century.
The historic centre of San Marco in Lamis lies in the valley of the Torrente Jana, in the Padula or Padule area, where the town's original settlement is thought to have begun. The Chiesa Madre is dedicated to the Annunciation, was built in the 18th century and has a three-nave floor plan with barrel vaults. The three-nave floor plan divides the church interior; the barrel vaults form the vaulted ceiling.
Borgo Celano and the Dinosaur Footprints
The Museo Paleontologico Borgo Celano is located in Borgo Celano, a hamlet of San Marco in Lamis. Near the visitor centre, it has an outdoor area with numerous dinosaur reconstructions and explanatory information panels.
About ten dinosaur footprints were discovered in a quarry near Borgo Celano. Most are approximately 15 to 40 centimetres long and are attributed mainly to medium-sized to large bipedal theropods.
Karst Formations and Landscape Names
The Grave di Zazzano lies on the karst plateau of San Marco in Lamis, an area with pronounced surface karst features and numerous sinkholes. Below a wide, funnel-shaped rock opening, the Grave di Zazzano descends approximately 95 metres.
The section of the Valle Carbonara that begins in San Marco in Lamis is called Vallone di Stignano.
Religious Tradition on Good Friday
The traditional Processione delle Fracchie takes place on Good Friday. During the procession, the Fracchie serve as torches that light the way for the Sorrowful Mother Mary into the town centre.
San Marco in Lamis on the Via Francigena
The Via Francigena route from Troia to Monte Sant’Angelo is approximately 110 kilometres long. It passes through Lucera, San Severo, San Marco in Lamis and San Giovanni Rotondo. In the route sequence, San Marco in Lamis follows San Severo, followed by San Giovanni Rotondo; Troia and Monte Sant’Angelo form the two endpoints. When planning the route between Troia, San Marco in Lamis and Monte Sant’Angelo, both the distance and the order of the places therefore count.
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To the higher-level travel overview: Foggia.
