Renovation Works on the Decoration
There were no significant renovations to the early medieval decoration of the Tempietto until the 13th century. The first important alterations seem to have taken place after the earthquake of 1222, when some damaged areas required new frescoes. It is possible, however, that the two lunettes on the north and south walls (Stories from Genesis, Saints) had already been repainted before the earthquake.
Among the renovated decorations, the oldest fresco is the one depicting female saints on the south wall, including Mary Magdalene and the Allegory of Faith.
During the major restoration believed to have been completed around the mid‑13th century, the presbytery walls were also frescoed. Today, only fragments remain, including a delicate scene of the Nativity of Christ, with the preparation of the Child’s bath.
In the 14th century, new frescoes were added to the central vault in the presbytery. Here we find Christ in glory, giving a blessing, surrounded by saints and by the scene of the Adoration of the Magi. On the presbytery walls are the Annunciation and the Crucifixion, and beside the windows you can see the Visitation on the north side, and Saints Peter and Paul on the south side, with Paul holding a sword and a book, the symbols usually associated with him.
These works continued until the great wooden choir stalls were built; thought to have been completed by 1384 under the guidance of Abbess Margherita della Torre, they are the oldest in the Friuli region. The installation of the choir radically changed the appearance of the hall, as it covered the entire lower part of the walls, concealing frescoes that had been painted only a few decades earlier.
During modern restorations in the 20th century, many of these medieval frescoes were removed from the wall, revealing decorations dating back to the 8th century. Today, these decorations are kept partly in the sacristy of the Tempietto, partly in the Christian Museum and the Treasury of the Cathedral, and in the National Archaeological Museum.
Some medieval sculptures were also removed and placed elsewhere, such as the statues of the Calvary that once stood on the beam between the hall and the presbytery, and the mourning figures on either side of the Crucifix.
A project is under way to gather all these historically and artistically important pieces in the future Monastery and Tempietto Museum.
The medieval renovation also involved the building exterior, especially the upper level, which is now incorporated into the monastery structure.
Important traces of frescoes survive in the arches of the façade. In the southern arch, next to the window, only a few fragments of a Crucifixion remain, similar in style to the Byzantine‑influenced frescoes of the Aquileia crypt (early 13th century). Decorations are better preserved on the northern arch: in the lower section, a kneeling figure in prayer can be seen beside an inscription, while above it there is a fresco of Saint Francis receiving the stigmata, accompanied by a Seraph and another saint. The style recalls late 13th‑century German painting.
