Chiesa di Sant’Anna at Marina Grande

Pretty church at the heart of an annual celebration

The church, with its pink and green
façade, is set in its own square

Right in the middle of Marina Grande, set back from the beach in its own little square, is a pretty 17th century church dedicated to Saint Anne (Sant’Anna), the mother of the Virgin Mary.

The Baroque church, with its pink and cream façade, was built on the site of a much earlier church and paid for by the local fishermen. Originally, the church was dedicated to souls in purgatory, but it was later rededicated to Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus.

It is about a ten-minute walk from Piazza Tasso to visit the church. You go through Piazza Vittoria and along Via Marina Grande and as you descend to the seafront, you will catch a glimpse of the green and yellow patterned cupola and the campanile of the parish church.

Walk along the seafront past the Da Emilia restaurant and you will find the church on your left. The entrance door, flanked by two marble columns, leads into the simple interior, which has a single nave and a wooden trussed ceiling. Behind the main altar is a statue of Saint Anne and the church also has sculptures of the crucified Christ and John the Baptist.

The floor is covered in white and grey marble and on the opposite wall of the church, high above the entrance door, is a pipe organ.

The church's green cupola can be 
seen in the centre of this picture 

The feast day of the Saints, Anne and Joachim, who were the parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus, is celebrated on 26 July each year at Marina Grande. A few days before, lights shaped like sea shells and sweet stalls appear alongside the long-established restaurants and bars.

It is a tradition that handmade handkerchiefs are sold from one of the stalls, along with a special blessing offering protection to pregnant women, as Saint Anne is also the patron saint of pregnancy and motherhood.

The first Sunday after 26 July, trumpets sound early in the morning to herald the beginning of a large procession, when the statue of Sant’Anna is carried around Sorrento. People come by boat afterwards to join in the celebrations at Marina Grande and eat traditional Sorrento specialities at the restaurants.

The day ends with spectacular fireworks that light up the bay, accompanied by classical music, signalling the end of the festivities for another year.

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Basilica di Sant’Antonino

Church displays whalebone to commemorate brave deed by saint

The Basilica di Sant'Antonino dates
back to at least the 11th century

The Basilica di Sant’Antonino in Sorrento, considered the town's most important church after the Duomo, is named after one of the city’s patron saints.

The present building in Piazza Sant'Antonino dates back to at least the 11th century, although it is thought to have been built on top of a seventh century oratory housing the saint’s tomb.

The grey tuff façade and bell tower were added during the Renaissance period and the interior was refurbished in baroque style in the 18th century.

Some of the marble columns in the church are believed to have come from villas built in the area by the Romans, which were eventually abandoned.

The church has a beautiful example of a presepe (crib) with 17th century figures made by the best Neapolitan sculptors of the time.

The crypt, which was rebuilt in the 1700s, has many paintings and gifts offered by sailors to fulfil vows they made after they believed their lives had been saved, thanks to the intervention of Sant’Antonino, when they were in peril on the sea.

The pulpit of tarsia (inlaid wood) was made by local craftsmen in the 1930s.

The basilica has a whale rib on display in the
lobby to commemorate Sant'Antonino's bravery

The church was badly damaged in the 16th century by Turkish pirates who succeeded in landing and then invading Sorrento, but it was later restored and refurbished and was made a basilica in 1924.

Antonino Abate, who became Sorrento’s principal saint, died on 14 February, 626 AD. He is credited with saving the life of a child who had been swallowed by a whale by rescuing it from the whale’s stomach.  A whale rib is on display in the lobby of the church to commemorate the brave deed by Sant’Antonino. The saint is also revered by local people for protecting Sorrento against plague and invasion as well as intervening after shipwrecks to save lives.

Each year on the anniversary of his death, a silver statue of Sant’Antonino is carried in a procession through the streets of Sorrento and there are festive lights, fireworks, and musical events in his name.

(Whale rib picture by Mentnafunangann via Wikimedia Commons)

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Church of the Servants of Mary in Sorrento

Hidden gem in centre of Sorrento

Behind a dark, wooden door in Via Antonino Sersale, just off Corso Italia and close to the Duomo, is the beautiful Baroque Church of the Servants of Mary.

It was built in the 18th century for the congregation of the Servants of Mary (Venerabile Congregazione dei Servi di Maria).

The entrance to the church in Via Sersale

Inside the Church is a wooden statue of the dead Christ, created by an unknown sculptor in the 16th century, which is carried each year on Good Friday through the streets of Sorrento, starting from Via Sersale, by members of the congregation wearing black robes and hoods, representing a funeral procession for the death of Jesus.

The Church was completed in 1762 and includes the old chapel of St Barnaba, which was donated to the congregation in 1717 by Archbishop Filippo Anastasio.

Unusually, the Church is accessed by a marble staircase, which leads to a large vestibule, containing an extensive collection of works of art.

Inside the church, a single aisle leads to a marble altar, behind which there is a painting in an elaborate gilt frame of the Assumption of Mary (Assunzione di Maria al Cielo), the work of Carlo Amalfi in 1774.

Vestibule of Chiesa dei Servi di Maria

In other rooms there are paintings, books and documents, and works of art to see. An unusual 17th century statue of the Virgin Mary wearing an ornate gown interwoven with silver, embroidered in gold, and decorated with pearls and semi precious stones, is believed to be the only piece of its kind in the area.

The Church of the Servants of Mary is open to the public from Thursday to Saturday between 5 pm to 8 pm and on Sundays from 8 am to 12 noon.

Festival of San Gennaro in Naples

 

Worshippers, civic dignitaries, scholars and tourists meet together in the Duomo in Naples every year on 19 September to remember the martyrdom of the patron saint of the city, San Gennaro.

Every year a service is held during which the dried blood of the saint, which is kept in glass phials in the Duomo, turns to liquid.

The Bay of Naples with Vesuvius in the background.

The practice of gathering blood for relics was a common practice at the time of the decapitation of San Gennaro in 305 and the ritual of praying for the miracle of liquefaction dates back to the 13th century in Naples.

The festival of the saint’s martyrdom is celebrated by Neapolitan communities all over the world and the recurrence of the miracle each year is televised and reported in the newspapers.

On the few occasions that the miracle hasn’t happened, Neapolitains have dreaded a catastrophe occurring. In 1980 after the liquefaction failed to take place a massive earthquake struck the region. 

Piazza Sant’Antonino

Palm trees shelter Sorrento saint

Sorrento’s patron saint, Sant’Antonino, has three statues honouring him in the historic centre of the resort.

In Piazza Tasso, the hub of Sorrento, in the middle of the main shopping street, Corso Italia, there is a statue of Sant’Antonino in a prominent position. The square is named after the poet Torquato Tasso, who was born in Sorrento, but his statue is tucked away in a little garden to one side.

Sant'Antonino looks out over his square

A short walk from Piazza Tasso along Via Luigi de Maio, leads to the pretty Piazza Sant’Antonino, which has a statue of Sant’Antonino Abate surrounded by palm trees with Sorrento’s Town Hall behind it.

Just off the square, the Via Santa Maria delle Grazie leads to the church of the same name. Running parallel with Via San Cesareo and the Corso, this street has many interesting shops, bars and restaurants.

The piazza is also home to Basilica Sant’Antonino, parts of which date back to the 11th century. In the sacristry is a beautiful example of a presepe (crib) with 17th century figures made by Neapolitan sculptors.

Inside the Basilica, another statue of the saint is surrounded by the many offerings from sailors who have been saved from shipwrecks over the centuries and believe it was thanks to the intervention of Sant’Antonino.

Basilica Sant'Antonino is across the road from the statue

Sant’Antonino Abate died on 14 February, 626 AD.

He is credited with saving the life of a child swallowed by a whale and protecting Sorrento against plague and invasion.

Each year on the anniversary of his death, a silver statue of Sant’Antonino is carried in a procession through the streets of Sorrento and there are festive lights, fireworks, and musical events in his name.

Sombre processions mark Good Friday in Sorrento

Model figures depicting the black procession
on display in a shop window

Two historic processions take place through the streets of Sorrento on Good Friday, which is known as Venerdi Santo in Italy.

A white procession is held in the early hours of the morning and a black procession is held in the evening to mark the sorrow of the church for the passion and death of Jesus.

The white procession represents Mary going out to search for her son. The black procession, in which a 16th century statue of the dead Christ is carried, represents Mary finding her crucified son.

The people taking part wear hoods that completely cover their faces with just eye holes for them to see through, and carry crosses and torches to light their way.

Thousands of onlookers line the route to watch the processions pass by, which are led by bands playing solemn music.

The processions are believed to date back as far as the 13th century when it was recorded that local friars went out on the night before Venerdi Santo dressed in sackcloth and bearing lighted torches to visit tombs in churches.

In the 16th century the procession began to take place on Venerdi Santo and involved the statue of the dead Christ being carried through the streets.

 

The picture shows a shop window on Corso Italia in Sorrento which has a detailed model of the Good Friday processions on display.

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Sorrento celebrates festival for Sant’Antonino

The statue in Piazza
 Sant'Antonino

While lovers all over the world raise a glass to Saint Valentine today, residents and visitors in Sorrento will be celebrating the festival of Sant’Antonino, the city’s patron saint.

Sant’Antonino Abate died on 14 February, 626 AD. He is credited with saving the life of a child swallowed by a whale and protecting Sorrento against plague and invasion.

Each year on the anniversary of his death, a silver statue of Sant’Antonino is carried in a procession through the streets of Sorrento and there are festive lights, fireworks, and musical events in his name.

Sant’Antonino’s body is buried in a crypt that became part of the Basilica di Sant’Antonino in Piazza Sant’Antonino, a magnificent church that dates from the 11th century, but has been added to and refurbished over the years.

There is a statue of the saint among the palm trees in the middle of Piazza Sant’Antonino opposite Sorrento’s town hall.

Inside the Basilica, another statue of the saint is surrounded by the many offerings from sailors who have been saved from shipwrecks over the centuries and believe it was thanks to the intervention of Sant’Antonino.

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