Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Abbondanza

This is a church hewn entirely from the living rock, a single rectangular nave that now stands as the largest one-nave crypt yet discovered. The entrance, once a parabolic arch, has been squared off by tufa blocks, a pragmatic alteration to the original design. Inside, the space rises a full ten metres, with a distinct height difference between the taller antechamber and the presbytery. Two elegant arches, carved directly into the rock ceiling in a gentle barrel profile, articulate the three sectors: vestibule, oratory, and presbytery. To the left of the vestibule, a wide niche with a pointed arch opens in the wall. The oratory walls hold harmonious apsidal cavities where minor altars once stood. The presbytery is separated from the oratory by a rock-hewn arch resting on two pillars with rectangular abacus capitals; the right pillar contains a modelled aedicule. Traces of fresco remain in a large niche, while a deep recess to the left, with a ceiling so high it suggests a bell tower, once connected to adjacent chambers. The central apse, its altar still in place, sits two metres above the current floor level.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.