Madrisio’s Madonna of Tavella

In the countryside of Madrisio is the Madonna di Tavella, a beautiful church built in its current form towards the end of the fifteenth century. Some evidence suggests that it was rebuilt or expanded on a much older previous building, probably Roman or early Christian, including a burial stele from the Imperial era and depicting two spouses, found in the surroundings and now located in the church and the small votive chapel with an apse and the altar base found below the church’s floor in the south-east corner. On the ancient wall of the first church fragments of frescoes have been revealed depicting a beautiful and rare Byzantine Madonna (11th or 12th century), perhaps the remains of a deposition, a decorative fascia of Acanthus leaves, and fragmentary filler with medusas and shells. Of interest are three votive paintings commissioned by culau simit, da lenar de duri e daaltar of St. Mary Magdalene, dated 1554.