Grotta dei Santi in Pignataro Maggiore

On the left of the Rio dei Lanzi opens this cave, dug into the tuff in the 4th century BC to regulate the flow of water. Around the 10th century it was turned into a place of worship: an apsed space was carved out about three and a half metres up, reached by a staircase cut into the rock, along with a second, smaller room next to the entrance.The walls were decorated with frescoes in three phases, from the 10th to the 12th–13th century, with figures of saints and worshippers. Sadly, the paintings are now in poor condition and hard to make out. We still like the charm of this rock church: we recommend visiting it slowly and with a good torch.