Church of Santa Croce in Sinalunga
Home to a painting from Luca Signorelli's workshop
The Church of Santa Croce, dating back to the 15th century, stands to the right of the Collegiate Church of Sinalunga and it used to be one of the main churches within the walls of the town. In the early Middle Ages, the site was used as a sort of shelter for the locals of the fortified town (a Castrum). The church used to be dedicated to Saint Martin, patron saint of Sinalunga, until the construction of the Collegiate Church. Several decorative brick elements characterize the 17th century facade.
The triangular-shaped roof gives the structure a hut-like shape that culminates with a terracotta bell tower with a mullioned window. The Church has a single nave and is decorated with numerous stucco ornaments and statues including six saints: Saint Martin, Saint Helena, Saint Sebastian, Saint Nicholas, Saint Lucy and Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
On the main altar, we can admire a 17th-century painting by Giovanni Antonio Cerretelli depicting Jesus nailed to the Cross. On the right wall of the church, we find the painting with the Marriage of the Virgin that derives from the workshop of Luca Signorelli of 1465. Other artworks found inside are: The painting of the Crucifixion in the style of the Tuscan School (19th century), the Madonna of Rosary from 1889, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick.
