Description
The church was built near the cell of the saint in 1613, on the ruins of a small existing church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, which had a single hall and semicircular apse.
The facade was rebuilt in the 18th and 19th century and is divided into three vertical sections by sturdy stone pilasters. On the left is the bell tower and the main portal is enriched by coping with scrolls and ornaments. At the sides are two smaller side doors.
Inside the church, in the apse, there is a cycle of frescoes depicting scenes from the life of St. Gemma and a painting depicting St. Anthony of Padua by Theophilus Patini.
Historical Notes
Legend has it that the young Gemma, born in San Sebastiano dei Marsi, in around 1375, was orphaned and then taken in by relatives in Goriano Sicoli. Later she was propositioned by the Count of Celano, but she refused him because she had already dedicated herself to God. For this she was locked in a cell until her death when, according to tradition, the bells began to ring by themselves.
