It seems to have been originally a church cemetery, presumably a single nave, Located next to a cemetery from the second or third century AD. Under the pontificate of Pope Boniface IX (1389-1404), when the church was run by monks of the Benedictine Rule, it was the subject of structural changes, also financially supported by Pope Boniface IX, transit to Foligno in 1392, who granted the monks many indulgences to support the continuation of the work. It was then that the church took the title of Santa Maria Maggiore, in the sense of the mother church from other churches erected under the title of Mary in the Diocese of Foligno (This church is mentioned in the documents first as Santa Maria of Fulginea, in 1138, and then as Santa Maria of Campis, in 1188). To report, in memory of the Pope's visit, on the facade of the church, MDCLXIX well as the date on the base of a column of the portal, the coat of arms of Pope Boniface IX, above the left side door.

Complex structure is the story of the church: restructuring is documented in the first half of the fourteenth century, Three hundred new restorations last, in the sixties of the seventeenth century and in 1740. Even with substantial structural changes were made in the reconstruction done 1849, following the earthquake 1832, occasion on which the sanctuary was dropped, shrunken and eliminated the altar space of the choir.

During the nineteenth century many of the frescoes were damaged by changes: a ladder leaning against the left wall of the second chapel on the left of it crashed the fresco; the frescoes of the third chapel on the left have all been lost because the chapel was used as a kitchen; in the fourth chapel on the left, now room for the organ, but in the past used as a sacristy, were removed the ribs of the vault and whitewashed the frescoes, currently only one of whom has returned to light.

The church has three naves today, with the central nave covered by a barrel vault of the two side pillars and archivolt with a flat ceiling of wood. This structure is the result of a completed project in the fifties of the twentieth century with which it has come to restore the Gothic church, the reopening of the two side doors of the facade, the recovery of the fourth chapel on the left with the shift in the sacristy of the newly constructed space, the demolition of the tower (raised in 1858 about) which rested on the last chapel on the left, emerge in order to make the decoration. A new bell tower, placed on the right side, was built in 1959.

Upon entering you can see in left aisle the church holy-water basin, precious marble work dates from the 1649, as evidenced from the incision on the base. More, always on the left aisle, the two wall paintings: a Madonna of the Milk of Saints Peter and Paul, On its left is a fresco of the Blessed Peter Crisci (1243 that.- 1323, a so-called "holy fools", converted at thirty and living by selling his goods in the cathedral of Foligno, where he helped in the most humble services); and whose right hand is painted a saint, hours headless, probably be identified with S. Bernard of Clairvaux. This work is a painter of Foligno, defined by Filippo Todini "similar to Christopher by Jacopo", the second half of the fifteenth century; the other is a fresco Sant’Antonio abate, dating back to 1483, Perhaps the Master of the Coronation of Montefalco or Christopher James. On the opposite wall is depicted, between two arcs of access, San Rocco, fresco dating back to 1497 and also of uncertain origin.

To the left opens Cappella commissioned by apothecary Peter Cola Andreuccio of Banks, presumably died in 1458 and resident in the district of Mora. He in 1452 left by will to his son Anthony's commitment to build and decorate a chapel, dando egli stesso avvio alla sua costruzione. The chapel is adorned with murals painted between 1454-6 and 1460 by painters Foligno. We recall: the Crucifixion, with Mary Magdalene, Maria, St. John and angels and, side, Portrait of the client; the Barque of St. Peter, derived from Giotto's famous mosaic in the Roman basilica of St. Peter (the front wall); theAnnunciation with lower Saint Lucia and St. Helena (left wall), St. Christopher (pillar between the two arcs) and still San Lorenzo, St. Peter's, Apollonia, San Bernardino, San Sebastiano, Sant'Amico, St. James the Great and other saint (in the intrados).

The attribution of the paintings of this chapel is still much debated. Philip Todini, that defines this decoration "one of the more senior of the fifteenth century Foligno", attributes it to an anonymous artist, Master of defined Cola Banks, in collaboration with the Master of the Crucifixion Bevagna; Elvio Lunghi disputes, instead, the existence of the Master and identifies the author of Pierantonio Mezzastris Crucifixion and Peter of Mazzaforte the author of the figures of sottarchi. Finally Bruno Toscano attributed to Mezzastris, assisted by two anonymous painters of the late Gothic culture still, Most of these frescoes, that defines one of the most valuable evidence of the ongoing renewal to Foligno painting in the mid-fifties of the fifteenth century.

The decoration of the second chapel back to the early decades of the fifteenth century and is consistently assigned to John of Corraduccio. On the right wall is a fresco of Crucifixion with Virgin, Mary Magdalene and St. John the Evangelist, surrounded by a multitude of characters. On the left wall is represented Saint Anthony on the throne with clients, surrounded by six squares that represent as many moments in the life of the saint. In the vault, partially deleted and very deteriorated, The four evangelists and saints. Almost completely lost the decoration of the altar wall, of which only, left, the figure of St. Stephen and, Destra, a Madonna and Child, now covered in part by a board representative San Benedetto. Within this chapel is placed, above the altar, the urn with the statue of Our Lady Girl (Eighteenth century), which is celebrated on September 8. The church, in fact, has always been linked to the cult of the Virgin.

The original decoration of the third chapel has been lost, except for two fragments of the wall in the bottom left under the arch. The frescoes are now visible were built, instead, in 1957 by Ambrogio Fumagalli after the environment, improperly used in the decades following the unification of Italy for profane, was restored to its original destination; on the right wall is represented The celebration of the death of Blessed Bernardo Tolomei (1272-1348), founder of the Olivetan; on the left wall The meeting of St. Anthony of Padua Roman Ezzelino and its conversion; on the back wall The Blessed Tolomei in prayer with Saint Anthony of Padua and the portrait on the right of the olive Dominic Schernardi (1915-1979), prior of the monastery at the time of the work. The vault can be seen Depictions of the Blessed Tolomei.

A large room, the transept the fourteenth-century church, chapel and a time until the early nineteenth century sacristy, opens in the bottom of the left aisle. Today you can admire a large organ and, in the wall that runs along, a ciborium stone, reassembled from Mons. Michael Faloci Pulignani. To the right of a canopy fresco Madonna and Child Enthroned with S. Francis, S. Anthony of Padua and S. Antonio Abate with the inscription "THE FACT THESE FIGURES DO LI REDI FACHINU DE DE SANTO FOR THEIR RACH DIVOTIONE. 1507”. This fresco is attributed to Ugolino by Elvio Lunghi Gisberto, follower of Nicholas Pupil next to which he worked as a journeyman in the workshop of Peter Mazzaforte year 1458; by Philip Todini is, instead, reported among the "Unknown Foligno in the second half of the fifteenth century".

To the right of the organ opens Chapel of S. Marten, built by Bishop Paul Trinci in 1330, just below the title of S. Marta Guest Lady of Christ Our Lord. The chapel was later renewed in 1373 Trincia and the Corrado Trinci, in 1458 was again painted by Nicholas Student with Crucifixion, S. Stories of John and S. Thomas the Apostle and, from 1515, was being used as a throw-damaged church. It was rediscovered in the twentieth century, after lying hidden under the old bell tower of the cell, Fortunately, retaining part of the frescoes, depicting: Crucifixion (back wall); Stories of S. Thomas the Apostle, from the account of Legend Aurea (side walls); Annunciation (wall of the left, up); S. Catherine of Alexandria, S. Lucia and S. Bernard of Clairvaux (arch entrance).

The frescoes in this chapel are treated by the historian of the Trinci During Dorio scored in a glossary in the margins of an edition Lives of 'painters, sculptors architects ...Giorgio Vasari in his possession, and are also mentioned in his Jacobilli by Chronic. The last restoration dates back to 2004 and has identified, Thanks to the restoration of the paint film, the presence of multi-hand, probably four or five, execution of these frescoes: than the hand of Nicholas Student, Elvio Lunghi also proposed that the presence of Peter and Bartholomew Thomas Mazzaforte, by these artists part of a team that has, also, also involved artists do not originate in Foligno.

In the adjacent chapel is now houses the Blessed Sacrament, that is called Chapel of the Holy. Sacramento. On the right wall you can see what remains of a Ascension the fifteenth century and to the left a 'Last Supper, probably of the sixteenth century, but perhaps retouched. On the back wall, in artificial niches, pictures of S. Blessed left and the Beato Bernardo Tolomei Destra, frescoes of the Umbrian school (1640); the vault Evangelists and Doctors of the Church (Fifteenth century).

Along the wall of the aisle you can see three fragmentary frescoes of the fifteenth century. Above the entrance door to the sacristy depicts a Crucifixion, dating from the fourteenth century, but difficult assignment. It also points out a Our Lady of Mercy with S. Rocco and S. Catherine of Alexandria, Philip Todini second work of the Master of the Coronation of Montefalco while according to Elvio Lunghi by Christopher James.

More than, bottom right, we find a Madonna and Child Enthroned and left a Crucifixion. Under the Crucifixion is a recessed tombstone with the recumbent figure of Peter Lodam, died in 1449, abbot of S. John Peneclaria, disappeared when it was built the fortress of Ancona, in mid-fifteenth century.

Above is pictured S. Michael and the Mystic Lamb and sides of the story 'Annunciation. The whole fresco is, second Todini, work of the Master of the Ditch, anonymous artist of culture Umbria-Marche, partially influenced by John of Corraduccio and active in the area and Gualdo Foligno in the first half of the fifteenth century.

Embedded in the wall opposite the tombstone Tuna Giacomo Tonni from Cerreto Spoleto, died in 1485, benefactor of the church.

Placed on the bottom of the nave is the gateway to the cloister, topped by a lintel stone that bears, between the digits of the year 1487, the crest of the monks of the Body of Christ, ie two angels holding a glass.

L'adiacente cloister is square and each side has three arches supported by brick columns. On three sides runs a portico, whose walls are decorated with a cycle of frescoes dedicated to Life of Blessed Bernardo Tolomei, performed in 1963 by Lino Dinetto, Venetian painter. The episodes are realized through fourteen scenes that leave from the wall near the vestry and continues throughout three of the four sides of the cloister (Birth and infancy of the Blessed; Youth; Charitable; The withdrawal to Accona and construction of Monte Oliveto; The vision of the Holy Stairs; The receipt of the rule of the Virgin and the visit to Avignon; The monastic dressing; The waiver of the abbey; The resurrection of a bricklayer and care for the lepers; Death; The glory). Il Beato Bernardo, scion of a noble Sienese Tolomei family, cultured, in 1313 decided to retire to a hermit's life. In the solitude of Accona, He wore the white dress as a symbol of devotion to the Virgin. In 1319 embraced the rule of S. Benedict and founded the first nucleus of the monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, abandoning the life of a hermit; died, together with eighty of his fellow, during the plague of 1348, after helping the needy.

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