Roman portico of the 1st century BC survives in Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Assisi
Minerva: Between the Pizzeria and the Carabinieri Station.
In the birthplace of Francis of Assisi there are, oddly enough, historic sites known for no connection with the saint's life.
Crowds of pilgrims file past this small church at the beginning of Piazza del Comune on their way to the Basilica of Saint Francis. They ought to stop and look at the building with a portico, squeezed between a carabinieri station and a pizzeria. This is the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, with a Roman portico of the 1st century BC, a genuine Roman portico, better preserved than any other in Italy.
Unfortunately, in the 16th century, under Pope Paul III, the ancient temple was remodelled, that is, effectively destroyed: in place of the unique interior dedicated to the virgin goddess, rather tasteless Baroque decoration was installed.
