Church of San Lorenzo Martire
Probably built in the year 1000 on a pre-existing building, it has been renovated several times.
For this reason it is presented in a mixed architectural style. The facade, very worked, has a large portal framed by Corinthian pilasters and surmounted by the statues of San Lorenzo Martire, San Pietro and San Paolo.
Next to the building stands an imposing bell tower: the original cusp collapsed during the 1905 earthquake and was rebuilt only in the 1920s.
The interior, with three naves, has also undergone renovations especially following seismic events. Just during one of these interventions came to light an ancient fresco depicting San Rocco with the dog. The main altar (works of local artists, 1894) is made of marble and stucco and is embellished with four Corinthian columns that support a broken pediment. The paliotto (front of the altar) shows scenes of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.
On the walls of the apse four canvases depict the evangelists (works of Luigi Calcagno, late nineteenth century). The vault, then, is embellished by four frescoes by artist Giambattista Santoro.
He is also credited with the oil on canvas "Visit of St. Elizabeth" located near the entrance (1882). In the left aisle you can see an oil painting of the late seventeenth century, the work of an unknown southern artist. On the right, however, above the sacristy door there is a canvas depicting the "Deposition of Christ" (work by Raffaele Rinaldi da San Fili). Among other works, valuable canvases dating back to the 20th century.
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Church of Carmine
Built in the early 17th century by a group of local artists, the church has a facade embellished with tuff decorations.
The door and round representing the Madonna and Child are the work of Salvatore Fiume (1994). The interior has a single nave with large side chapel dedicated to Saint Teresa (dated 1951).
One of the three entrance doors was made by the Cerisanese Francesco Feara (more known as Ciccil of Mastru Carrinu). On the sides of the nave, in addition to four cast iron grooves (two on each side) that probably belonged to the ancient Church of Santa Chiara, there are numerous paintings (especially oil on 19th century foil).
The central altar, completely rebuilt, bears the coat of arms of the Carmelite order and is surmounted by the statue of the Madonna del Carmine (XIX century). In the apse there are two canvases ("The Prophet Elijah" and "St. Elysee").
The large side chapel was frescoed in recent times by Saverio Presta. The images represent scenes of life of Saint Teresa.
Here is the former high altar on which the statue of the Saint stands, reproduction of a work of Canova kept in St Peter’s in Rome. In the apse of the chapel is the statue of Saint Lucia (a 17th century Spanish work).
Finally, on the choir there is a fresco by Saverio Presta and an oil on canvas depicting the Madonna del Carmine with four confreres.
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Church of San Domenico
Initially dedicated to the Madonna del Soccorso, the church was probably built in 1484.
The Preaching Fathers (Domenicans), however, settled there only in 1561. Over the years the building has undergone numerous changes, especially following earthquakes in 1638 and 1854.
On the façade stands a rose window in polychrome glass depicting the Madonna del Rosario. On the sides of the portal, instead, two square niches house the statues of San Domenico and Santa Caterina (works by Salvatore Santelli).
The chapel of the Rosary, currently annexed to the church, was once detached from the structure and used as a cemetery. The interior with three aisles is embellished with frescoes and numerous canvases including a painting dedicated to St. Thomas Aquinas attributable to the painter Cristoforo Santanna (according to some scholars, however, the painting, which is signed CSP, could be the work of Giuseppe Santanna, son of Christopher).
The main altar is in polychrome marble. On the walls of the apse there are two frescoes by Rocco Ferrari (1895): "Fuga in Egypt" and "Transit of San Luigi".
In the room behind the altar there is the tombstone of Porzia Sanseverino di Calvera, wife of Gerolamo Sersale Duke of Cerisano.
– Chapel of the Congregation of the Rosary – It is located in the left nave.
It was probably the main nucleus of the ancient church around which the rest of the building was built. It is enriched by strong wooden scans that take the lines of a 17th century plant destroyed in a fire in the 19th century. The flames were caused by the blinds on Holy Week. On the sides of the fifteen canvases, five of which, belonging to the Neapolitan school of the 17th century, represent scenes of the life of Christ.
In 1714 the chapel was repainted by the artist Pisanos, also author of the two altarpieces. On the pole (XVIII century) evident floral patterns inlay surround a stone mosaic depicting the Madonna del Rosario (according to some it would be porcelain tiles of Capodimonte).
In the upper part of the panel are engraved the arms of the Sersale family.
Among the other works preserved in the church there is a wooden crucifix of the end of the 17th century and in sacristy the "Crocifission" of Salvatore Santelli (1979), precious wooden cabinets (works of local workers of the end of the nineteenth-first century) and some processional statues.
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Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Oasi S. Antonio)
The church and the adjoining convent of the Reformed Friars of St. Francis of Assisi were built in 1609 thanks to the then feudal Hannibal Sersale. In the past the building had a large side chapel which, in the 1920s, the Municipal Administration ceded to the congregation of the Carmine in order to inhibit it as a cemetery chapel.
The convent was suppressed by a decree by Gioacchino Murat (10 January 1811) and reopened the following year. He definitively closed his doors immediately after the Unification of Italy.
The facade of the church, renovated in 1949, once had a portico from which it was accessed to the cloister. On the prospectus there are two statues (originally there were three, but one was destroyed by lightning).
Most of the interior furnishings and decorative statues were donated by Giovanni Ruffolo and Domenico Santelli (called Scarola).
The central altar is made of polychrome stucco. Among the works present: a wooden statue of the Immaculate (XVIII century); a wooden crucifix of the seventeenth century; a series of oils on canvas of which two attributed to Christopher Santanna.
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Church of the Schiucchi
It is located in the lower part of the country. According to tradition it is of Byzantine origin.
The church, with a bell tower, has a simple facade in which a small entrance door and two windows open. In the past, a canvas (also Byzantine) depicting the Madonna of Constantinople was preserved.
The work was lost over the years and was replaced by another painting with the same subject (XVI-XVII century). Today the statue of the Madonna degli Schiucchi was placed on the marble altar.
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Church of Valli
Recently built, the building was made of stone and masonry.
The structure is very particular and is characterized by a spiovent roof covered by tiles.
