In the 14th and 15th centuries, spice merchants, devout pilgrims, and Knights Templar were a common sight in Averara, a mountain hamlet that lies along one of the most important routes connecting Italy to the rest of Europe. One day in 1446, Don Davide Bottagisi, the local priest, unveiled an unusual fresco on the porch of the church. At the time (as now), artwork in places of worship mainly depicted Jesus, Mary, or patron saints. But instead of these themes, the onlookers were confronted with an array of staircases, columns,…
