Position: Annunziata
The square of the hamlet Annunziata is characterized by the discreet but charming facade of the church dedicated to the Virgin and by the majestic convent. The greatness of the latter is reveled only from above, from the top of the Castle of Annunziata.
Origins of the Church of Annunziata
This church has uncertain origins. Presumably, it was built on the site where the “Major Ecclesia Lubrensis” stood. The cathedral was destroyed by Ferrante II of Aragon in 1465 to punish the opposition of people to his hegemonic project.
Marco Cangiano restored the pre-existing building, or what remained of it, at the end of the 16th century. At the same time, the attached conservatory for poor girls called “Ave gratia plena” was founded.
In the 30s of the 20th century, the entire complex was abandoned. Only in the 1950s did the Minimi friars of San Francesco di Paola obtain the entire complex in emphyteusis. They transformed it, after complex works, into an Apostolic School.
The current decorative appearance of the building dates back to the eighteenth century. As indicated on the epigraph of the entrance door, dated 26 August 1749, the abbess Maria Cristina Romano led the renovation and the church was blessed by Msgr. Liborio Pisani. The gabled facade features a fresco depicting the Annunciation above the entrance portal, dating back to the mid-1500s.
Composition and decorations
The interior of the Church of the Annunziata consists of a single nave with four chapels on each side, while the roof is vaulted.
White stuccos embellish the entire structure, enriched by naturalistic details and cherub heads. During the 18th century wrought iron grates behind the altar and wooden grates on the counter-façade have been installated.
The magnificent marble altar dates back to the same period. It is believed to be the work of the workshop of Giuseppe Sammartino, famous sculptor of the “Veiled Christ”. It features two plump angels and a central relief depicting the Annunciation.
The altar is surmounted by the canvas of the Annunciation, attributable to Nicola Malinconico, with the coat of arms of the abbess Maria Cristina Romano. The floor of the nave, made up of marble and red completes the setting.
Another important work is the altarpiece of the Madonna del Rosario and Mysteries. It is located in the first chapel on the left and is the work of the 16th century painter Silvestro Buono. The chapel founded by Marco Cangiano in 1582, dedicated to “All Saints”, once housed a panel by Andrea da Salerno. Two other chapels on the left side are dedicated to Sant’Anna and the Blessed Virgin of Graces.
The left side houses the chapel of the Holy Spirit with a painting of the Pentecost commissioned in 1650. The chapel of Pio Monte, founded by Prospero Turbolo in 1586, has a marble altar and a canvas depicting Our Lady of Sorrows with Saints Matthew and Joseph, a work by Paolo de Majo in the 18th century.
In the right side there are two chapels: that of the Crucifix, founded by Sister Antonia de Marino and the chapel of the Immaculate Conception, with a floor attributable to Ignazio Chiajese.
