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On Largo Leopardi you will see the church of San Francesco, built in 1300. The single nave respects the architectural principles of the Mendicant orders of the Franciscans and the Dominicans. The vocation of these brothers was largely dictated by the gospels, and so the large churches were foremost functional and welcoming to the population. To support their preaching of the gospels, they commissioned the large cycle of frescoes that narrate the stories of the gospels and the bible.
The entry door, a bit older than the door of the church of Sant’Agostino, displays an elegant Gothic form. On the high portion of the door, there is a statue of God the Father.
On the right side, the small chapel of the Annunciation opens on the ground level. A representation of the angel’s visit to the Madonna occupies a wall to the left, and in the cross vault you will find the figures of the four evangelists. The fresco cycle recalls the workshop of the Sparapane family, which also worked in the nearby territory of Norcia in the second half of the 15th century. Other chapels on the left side present works of art from the 15th to the 17th centuries. The apse of the church displays a crucifix which came from the abbey of Saints Vincent and Anastasio. The figure of Christ appears triumphant over death: the eyes are open and the hair is neatly braided. The Christ figure wears a medieval tunic, called a colobium, with a rope beltied with a double knot, symbolizing ordination. There is a small hole in the chest area of the sculpture which probably served to hold a reliquary.
Close to the church is the cloister of the convent, decorated with frescoes by a local artist in 1600. Through this fascinating space one may enter the museum of Anthropology and Geography, which is dedicated to the relationship between the landscape of the Sybilline mountains and the humans who have lived there. In its educational rooms and exhibits, the museum displays plants and animals, whether well-known like the wolf and the eagle, or rare like the prehistoric shrimp-like creature called “Chirocefalo del Marchesoni which is only found in nearby Lake Pilato. In this museum, one can reconstruct the history of human activity from the pastoral to the artisanal, relative to the natural environment. You will also find models of the various phases of coal mining and production.
A large bookstand displays portraits of the Sybill as painters have imagined her through the centuries, and texts dedicated to the mythical lady of these mountains.
Continuing across Largo Leopardi to Via Nazario Sauro, it is possible to reach the neighborhood called “Agello” where the church of Santa Trinita, or Holy Trinity, deserves attention. The ascent which begins in front of the San Francesco gateway brings us to the highest point in the town, where one can find the ancient Castel Leone that today hosts the Theater named “La Fenice”.
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Amandola e i Sibillini 
