Abbey of St. Peter ad Oratorium - Capestrano (Province of L'Aquila)

The Benedectine abbey is located in the bank of Tirino, a beautiful church still preserves the so called "Sator square": five-word Latin words, can be read  left-to-right, or right-to-left, top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top.
The church was built in AD 752 as part of the monastery by the Lombard king Desiderius. The entrance door has a lintel decorated with vegetal motif.

The interior has a central nave with two side aisles, a precious ciborium dating back the XII century and the most ancient frescos series in Abruzzo. They represent the Blessed Jesus Christ on his throne surrounded by the four symbols of the Evangelists and twenty-fourelders who surround God's throne in the Apocalypse with golden chalices.
Under the ciborium a pagan altar still displays burns traces of ancient offerings.