Santa Cristina di Bolsena (3rd century - 4th century) according to tradition, was a Christian believer martyred during the persecutions that took place under the emperor Diocletian, at the beginning of the fourth century. So here we are at the last (in chronological order) surprise that, our Old Mill, has given us, during the sandblasting of the main facade. A little further upstream of the first entrance (local Mole), we find a second door .. once access to the stairwell, to the granary and another small room, turned into a dwelling.

We raise our gaze on this last access and notice (just above the architrave and the faded street number) .. a small niche with a square shape (no larger than 50 cm per side).

The years spent and the insult of the weather do not beg for clemency, all of course ..a damage of what (probably) was contained .. curiosity and sound patience did the rest .. what barely you could perceive, removing the material (excess of a thick layer of white plaster) was a small and pale brown writing composed of a handful of letters, preceded by a dot ".ri ... n."

 

Before the plaster was removed, four small holes were clearly visible at each corner of the niche; evident apposition (in recent times) of a painting or a support suitable to support a given votive representation (as often found on the old houses of the valley, ... use and custom to bless the property and draw from it the benevolence ). Returning to our letters a few months has passed in the search for that self-styled saint who could better fit, to the letters, the context of the mill and the life inside it .. not without sacrifices and vicissitudes 300 years long. Thus comes the suggestion of an Amica Pittrice on "how to search". Thanks to a certain amount of luck, further timids emerged, traces of color. Notwithstanding the reasonable doubt, but thanks to the discovery of a further letter

".ri ... na" we associated the work, to the representation of Santa Caterina di Bolsena (first picture in the upper left).