To the left of the facade of the Basilica there is a monumental and prestigious portal surmounted by a painting of the Virgin with Saint John the Baptist and Peter Celestine, as well as the city coat of arms, that is, an eagle from the Swabian period. This is the first Holy Door in history, strongly desired by Celestine V, who was the only Pope to become Pope not in Rome, but in L’Aquila, in Collemaggio. The right aisle features some wonderful frescoes: The Madonna with Saints Agnes and Apollonia, the Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin and the Crucifixion, while the one on the left features a pictorial cycle dedicated to Celestine V, including The Coronation of Celestine V.
In addition to these, the restoration after the earthquake allowed the “rediscovering” of a fresco depicting Celestine V by Saturnino Gatti, which, according to some scholars, presents mysterious meanings. A work which, in addition to being located behind the main altar, in the pre-earthquake period also had the further obstacle of being surmounted by the wooden choir benches which, therefore, practically covered it entirely.
