Chiesa dell’Addolarata

Architectural gem behind simple wooden door

The interior of the church

Just off busy Via San Cesareo in the heart of Sorrento, the beautiful Baroque Church of Our Lady of Sorrows houses many art treasures.

Built by the leading, noble families of Sorrento, the church was completed in 1739.

The pink painted internal walls are decorated with white plasterwork and the brick floor still has some of its original majolica tiles, which were decorated with floral designs.

The wooden statue of the Madonna

The most striking feature in the church is the wooden statue of the Madonna. It is displayed in a niche that is protected behind glass above the main altar. The Madonna is wearing a dark coloured, gold trimmed gown and a gold crown and she is holding a white handkerchief, as a manifestation of her grief after the crucifixion of Christ.

To the left of the ornate main altar, which is topped with gold candlesticks, is a wooden sculpture of Christ on the Cross.

Baroque detail over the door

There are paintings by the 18th century artist, Carlo Amalfi, of The Holy Family and the Holy Trinity in Glory, and also many fine examples of religious paintings in inlaid wood.

These include contemporary works by Giuseppe Rocco, completed in 2013, of the Nativity and the Crucifixion.

The Chiesa dell’Addolarata, which is at No. 47 Via San Cesareo, can be discovered  behind a simple wooden door with decorative stonework above it that is typical of the Baroque period.

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