Church of Santa Maria della Pietà in Telusiano

The church was rebuilt between 1513 and 1529 at the behest of Nicolò Bonafede da Monte San Giusto (1464-1534), an important figure in the papal court and bishop of Chiusi, as a mausoleum for his family. The exterior of the building is made of simple bricks, with the sole exception of a travertine portal surmounted by the bishop's coat of arms and the inscriptions: S. MARIA DE PIETATE (Saint Mary of Mercy) and along the architrave: N[icolaus].BO[na]FIDES EPISCOPVS CLVSINVS FVNDITVS RESTAVRAVIT (Niccolò, bishop of Chiusi, restored from the foundations). Inside is the Crucifixion (c. 1529-30), a masterpiece by the Venetian painter Lorenzo Lotto, still set in its original frame, itself a masterpiece of Renaissance cabinetmaking. The painting features a portrait of Niccolò Bonafede kneeling, contemplating Mary's fainting. Also noteworthy are the remains of late 16th-century frescoes attributed to Durante Nobili di Caldarola, a pupil of Lotto; a copy of the Madonna of Trapani by Nino Pisano (dating to the late 17th century); and a 15th-century Vesperbild (or Pietà), the only remaining link to the old medieval church.