The Church of Santa Maria in Capite Scalorum, or of the “Scalelle,” marks the first evidence of Christian presence in Montefalcone Appennino. Its location follows a very precise religious logic: according to tradition, on Colle Liccio, opposite the church, stood a pagan temple where violent and terrifying rites were performed on the sacrificial altar.By the 14th century, a small chapel had arisen around a votive shrine dedicated to the Virgin. It was not until 1585, with a papal bull issued by Pope Sixtus V regulating the shrine’s governance, that an expansion became possible. In 1588, a nave was added to the east and an apse to the west, which houses a 1590 canvas painting of the Annunciation, depicting a striking image of the Blessed Virgin of Divine Love dressed in red velvet. Near the current entrance, a stoup dating from 1589 is also preserved.
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