TREVI, Italy -Church of S.Paolo di Coste

Trevi, Coste. Chiesa di S. Paolo

This little church gives its name to a mountain hamlet east of Trevi, Coste di San Paolo or Coste San Paolo: enjoying a splendid view onto Trevi and the valley below, it is the last village on the road that climbs to the pass (1291 m) via Pettino (1074 m).

The barrel-vaulted church is built of exposed small block stone masonry. It is strictly oriented: that is, its apse points due east. The façade is surmounted by an open belfry.

It was restored in 1970, as is recorded on a plaque inside the church, thanks to the efforts of Father Bernardo Giacometti, a native of Coste, who at the time was the parish priest of Bovara.

Trevi, Coste. Chiesa di S. Paolo, facciata

Work is urgently needed to repair the roof, and the overall appearance of the building needs to be improved, since the church would be rather nice-looking if the heavy use of cement plaster did not give it right now a somewhat sad and unnatural grayish hue.

Trevi, Coste. Chiesa di S. Paolo, finestra e campanile

Inside, only one painting remains, on the right-hand wall: it dates to the early sixteenth century but has been extensively restored.

It depicts the Virgin enthroned with her Child, between St. Francis and St. Sebastian; a long inscription in two lines is now almost completely effaced. Surely at least one other image must have adorned the church, that of the titular saint; maybe on the wall behind the altar, which backs up onto bare earth and therefore has been the most damaged by damp.

Trevi, Italy. Chiesa di S.Paolo di Coste. Madonna con Bambino tra S.Francesco e S. Sebastiano.

In old documents this church is also called S. Paolo di Tergnole^.¹ or di Atergnole^.2, and once served 20-30 families^.3, sharing this function with S. Maria di Pelano or S. Maria Vecchia.

Trevi, Italy. Chiesa di S.Paolo di Coste. Altare

During the course of the 1970 restorations, inside the stone altar another altar was discovered, seen here to the right; it has been moved to another part of the church. The altar currently used is the one seen in the photo on the left: a travertine altar-table supported by an elegant little column from Antiquity of unknown provenance.