Sant’Antony Church in Sorrento

HISTORY

The most popular church in Sorrento, the most valuable and the most linked to the history and the devotion of the entire peninsula is the Basilica of St. Anthony Abbot, patron saint of the city and of ‘Ancient Archidioces;
It was built at the old Sant’Agrippino church, near which rose the Oratory of San Martino, built – according to tradition – by the Holy.
Sant’Agrippino’s convent – the Order of St. Benedict – Antonino Abate was elected after the death of Dom. Bonifacio and died there, in the year 625, being Console Sorrento Probianus, Emperor Heraclius and Pope Honorius (cfr. A . Cuomo, St. Anthony and the Four Saints Bishops, Fidapa, 1991, p. 10-11).
The time of its erection can not be determined accurately, even if the tomb of the saint was built a few years after the death, an Oratory, then enlarged. Doyeva exist in the year 835, when Prince Sicard of Benevento sent the daughter possessed by the devil, because it was released by the Santo (as the stories tell it happened), and was forced to raise the siege of Sorrento (cfr. P. Ferraiuolo , churches and monasteries of Sorrento, Cong. Servants of Mary, 1974, p. 47). And certainly it is from that date that the piety of the faithful made the temple dedicated to ‘Abate Antonino more and more beautiful, and in 1380 there was founded a Confraternity flying that gathered in Succorpo.
In Lucubrationes of Msgr. Anastasio meets the confirmation of the ‘existence of the church and the’ Anonymous Sorrentino (the oldest in the Holy writer, published in 1626 by Antonio Caracciolo teatino) is added which was officiated by Archpriest.
In an act of September 10, 1452 – reported in the Plateau – it is found that the same King appointed rector of the Church of St. Anthony, “vacata in manibus Domini Regis,” the Major Chaplain Domenico Exarch. By decree of Dec. 12, 1924 Pius XI raised the church to the Pontifical Basilica, equating it to the privileges to those Roman children.

THE OUTSIDE
The facade in Romanesque style, in gray tuff, is inserted with the bell, elegant in its austerity and, with four gray marble steps, too, gives access to a small porch, where on the right, because of the above ‘ urn which contains the remains of one of his rector who ruled the fortunes for more than fifty years, Moils. Francis D. Gargiulo, are deposited the bones of the whale which is attributed the miracle of St. Anthony, where more are tied Sorrentini. Above the gate of access there is a newspaper kiosk arch with a bell ‘fresco of the Saint (already detected on the occasion of the Holy Visit Archbishop Mons. The Provence, in 1599).
On the opposite wall there is the testimony of the commitment marmarea “growers sorrentini” for the accommodation el ‘
In the southern side of the basilica, on the ancient road named after the same saint – almost in the center – there is a small door, attributed to sec. X (cfr. Album of the III Centenary Tassiano). It comes built mostly with materials and architectural sculptures of the classical era: columns of antique yellow and Corinthian capitals with the frame, part of another more complex frame.

THE CENTRAL NAVE
The nave of the Basilica is six arches, supported by six columns from a part of various granite and other leftovers of the pagans times: the first (towards the inlet) are leaning against the boundary walls, the past (toward the cruise) facing solid marble pillars.

In the oval – horizontal and five part – formed between the compartments of the arches exist frescoes, above which it develops the cornice with large windows, in which filled spaces exist other three rectangular measurement frescoes (larger than those in the oval) : consequently you can see as many as 16 episodes in the life of ‘Antonino Abate and his miracles.
Proceeding from the entrance to the altar, on the right side, there are – in the oval – the Holy One who saves a precipitate mason from the bell tower (in the first), the appearance of the sculptor who had to make his statue and pay the fee again owed to him (in the second), the liberation of a possessed by the demon (in the third), the commissioning of the escape Saracen fleet (in the fourth) and the supply of fish to his devotees (last) and, above the cornice – in rectangular frames – the entrance of St. Antonino in Sorrento between the reception of Abbot Boniface and Sorrento, the appearance to the Pope that kept imprisoned for unjust accusations San Catello di Stabia bishop, and the vision of the lighted torch on top of the mountain. On the opposite side – Left – below the cornice,
Speaking of the silver statue of the saint (with the goldsmith Giovanni di Sorrento Rosania in 1494), it should be noted that it was also looted during the nefarious invasion of the Saracens, on the night of June 13, 1558 and merged to carry weapons . The Sorrentini, to demonstrate once again the devotion to their patron saint, decided to build a new silver image, and entrusted the task to a Neapolitan goldsmith, pouring even as a deposit the amount collected, and agreed that the completion of the work would welded due. Unfortunately Economic Affairs in Sorrento were not going the right way so retarded to travel to Naples, but their aid came the same Santo, who went from ‘goldsmith, she handed him a bag the balance agreed and suggested all’ author of guardorlo well to portray in his likeness statue. Meanwhile, after time, being able to collect the due, the delegates of the Sorrento people, who went to Naples, had the surprise of finding the work finished and ready to be delivered, with the balance already paid. They understood the miracle and it was decided to add the statue a bag (to indicate the miracle) and the goldsmith who sculptured the date and his name: February 2, 1564, Skiing pious of Costantio.
The ceiling is made of a strong riquadrature and rosettes of gold in blue background with three paintings by Giambattista Lama, 1734: at the center the story of the liberation of Prince Sicard daughter with the saint who, from heaven, auspicious event and various courtiers accompanying the obsessed; towards the presbytery is a round San Gaetano Thiene, founder of the Theatine who sold the convent and church for many years, while the other round (at the entrance) is engaged by the image of St. Andrew Avellino, holy teatino.

THE PRESBYTERY
Reaching cruising, which is accessed through five steps of white marble, meets the high altar, rich and majestic, once belonging to the nearby church of the suppressed Benedictine monastery of the Holy Trinity, consecrated July 1, 1814 by the Archbishop of Sorrento Msgr. Vincenzo Calà.

Behind the said altar there is a wooden choir, whose curved wall – in the upper part of the apse – you are the patron saints of the town: in the center with the right Sant’Antonino San BAcc% and St. Athanasius and to the left San Renato and San Valerio (all by Giacomo Del Po and dated 1685).
On the side walls, occupied almost entirely, you can admire two paintings (by the same author, depicting, one, the release of Sorrento siege of Cricket in 1648 and, the other, the liberation of the city from the plague of 1656)
on the two walls at the side of the altar are two reliquaries, from Sorrento’s Cathedral, built in 1608 by Archbishop Mons. Provencal: they were moved to the patron saint of the church between 1659 and 1679, when he was Archbishop Mons. Suardo. The altar in the right pane contains 17 relics including those of San Bacolo, bishop of Sorrento in the sixth century; in the left one the relics are 21, and among them, there are those of San Placido, one of the favorite disciples of St. Benedict.
In the cruise ceiling is painted the Holy Spirit at the center of a large rays, which replaced in the last century the ancient paintings of Sant ‘Antonino and San Gaetano.

LE aisles
The nave, which onduce entrance altar, is flanked by two aisles that lead, also, to Succorpo or crypt below the chancel and which are equipped, each one, two altars: on the right there are those of St. Joseph (formerly ella Lady of the Rosary) and St. Andrew Avellino, to the left of the Immaculate and St. Gaetono Thiene.
Special mention deserves the altar dedicated to the Immaculate, because you can admire a statue of ergine, ordered by the Superior Don Vincenzo Belli Citarelli the sculptor in 1848 (considered the most beautiful modern statue of the peninsula).
The testimony of custody of the church to the Fathers Teatini – evident in the public deed of July 21, 1608 – as well as by those two shrines to the saint and founder of St. Andrew, is validated by the eight canvas paintings (four per side) rappresentantii major episodes in the life of the two saints.

THE CRYPT

The most visited part of the Basilica, where most are concentrated devotees of the patron saint Antonino, is the lpogeo or Crypt, commonly called the soccorpo and occupying the whole of the part to the east ‘sacred building, at a lower level than the one with input direct access from the square and having two marble staircases hereinafter the two aisles. The whole area is supported by eight fine marble columns retrieved by the ancient pagan temples of the area on which they grow the supporting arches: four smaller ones inside the balustrade, which circumscribes the altar area, and four big arching all ‘external.
You can admire six paintings by Carlo Amalfi Sorrento (1707-1787) depicting, yet, the holy patrons of Sorrento: the four bishops San Renato, San Valerio, St. Athanasius and St. Bacolo and other Saints Gennaro in Naples and Nicola Bari. the other walls of the soccorpo are enriched by votive offerings, which are the testimony of faith in the Holy one and the graces received, and a large number of “cadres” reproducing miraculous rescues sailors.
At the center of the crypt stands the altar, on which is placed a statue of the saint, behind which there is the perennial oil lamp with silver foil that visitors palpeggiano, reciting the prayer in that document in memory of the famous miracle of St. Anthony sorrentino Bishop of healing.
It is said that at the time of the life of St. Anthony, the Bishop of Sorrento (probably Loving), riding on a mule, at the gate of the city was thrown off and falling, she fractured a leg. With others he visited the Santo Antonino Abate, who assured him of a prayer to the Virgin Mary. In fact, during the night, the Bishop dreamed that the Holy, taking oil from a phial in his hand the Blessed virgin, anointed the fractured leg. In the morning the prelate found himself cured. Hence it was born the devotion to anoint your hands behind the altar of the saint and to write down faithfully.
In the lateral extreme angles (just behind the ‘Holy altar) there are two altars: one on the left presents the picture of artistic value of all the basilica, a fresco of the Madonna delle Grazie of the XIV century, from the city walls and then held the oldest Sorrento testimony to the Mother of God; one on the right with the famous crucifix, wooden covered with a silver sheath, which is carried in a procession or during exceptional or severe penance in public calamities events.

The first solemn procession of penance is registered by February 17, 1703, on the occasion of the constant earthquakes that occurred in Naples and the Gulf. Four years later (February 12, 1707) similar procession took place for the repair interdict which for years had been under the city, and that was taken away on 25 May next, as well as in May of 171 °, not having verified the miracle of San Gennaro in Naples, to avoid, as expected on such occasions, upcoming disawenture again is brought in procession with the miraculous crucifix. Many others have been occasions of such a procession, of which the last, in memory, are at the eruption of Vesuvius in 1984, the year of the conversion announced by John Paul II: on that occasion went behind the crucifix from ‘
The two marble balustrades along the stairs to the crypt were carved in 1753, while the frescoes of the painter Peter Anton Squilles (of 16991 has been covered with stucco in 1778.
This part of the basilica is full of testimonies of the miracles of the Holy ( another small part in the local entrance to the sacristy). There is a whole exhibition of paintings of miraculous interventions for the safety of seafarers, of which St. Anthony was always considered effective patron, while a series of message boards enclose former prodigies silver satisfactory rating invocations of the faithful for healing in the body.

tHE SACRISTY
Turning to the sacristy (very wide, developed in multiple environments and provided with two inputs) will encounter many valuable evidence of the antiquity of the temple and devotion of the faithful.
The six “sketches” of the ovals (1778), exhibited in Succorpo, the painter Carlo Sorrento Amalfi; an oil table with a Madonna and Child (among the things most admired by Vittorio Sgarbi, in one of his visits to the basilica); another image of the Mother of God Byzantine style, in the room of the Rector and other works in the dressing room, including a magnificent Oil table showing the Virgin Mary with Saints between the two patrons of the Archdiocese, St. Anthony and San Catello, a work of 1539 by Luca de Maxo, and a wooden sculpture of ‘

The sacristy is a small museum: in fact, the paintings of the heritage of the basilica you add more masterpieces, objects of more or less recent donations to the Holy demonstrating the ever-living devotion and unwavering faith in his patronage. So you can among other things admire a miniature crib rich eighteenth century shepherds and animals, donated recently, and a plastic reconstruction of the miracle of the whale.