Scavi e ricerche nel complesso monastico di S. Francesco ad Amatrice

Archaeological excavations and research at the monastic complex of San Francesco in Amatrice. On the occasion of the reconstruction works of the church and convent of San Francesco in Amatrice (Rieti), destroyed by the 2016 earthquake, the construction phases and transformations of the building were explored, built in the Middle Ages, but entirely restored in the 17th century. An extensive season of archaeological excavation and a series of specific deep sample to verify geological stratigraphy of the building, linked to magnetometry and other investigations system were conducted between 2021 and 2022, patroned by the Region and the Municipality. During this work was discovered a complex system of underground funerary spaces under the floor of the church. All these architectures were analysed, and the burial chambers close to the altar in the presbytery were explored, as well as the structures located close to the southern wall with the Baroque altar on which the relic of the Madonna di Filetta was located. In this contribution we aim to present the first results of the archaeological excavations and the materials associated with the burial chambers which provide valuable information on burial rituals between the end of the Middle Ages and the Modern Age.