The Church of Sant'Anna di Montemiletto is a place of worship located in Via Roma, near the former convent of the Dominican friars, the current town hall.
The religious building was built at the direct will of the Tocco princes and was dedicated to Sant'Anna, towards whom the noble family had a certain devotion, due to the possession of a relic of the foot of the Saint, brought back from Greece by a great-great-grandfather of the feudal lords .
The foundation stone laying ceremony took place read more
The Church of Sant'Anna di Montemiletto is a place of worship located in Via Roma, near the former convent of the Dominican friars, the current town hall.
The religious building was built at the direct will of the Tocco princes and was dedicated to Sant'Anna, towards whom the noble family had a certain devotion, due to the possession of a relic of the foot of the Saint, brought back from Greece by a great-great-grandfather of the feudal lords .
The foundation stone laying ceremony took place in 1591 and, after a short break, work resumed in 1632. In 1683, the Church was consecrated for the first time by Cardinal Francesco Maria Orsini, the future Pope Benedict XIII. The works also continued in the following years and were completed under Leonardo V Tocco who, in 1732, married Camilla Cantelmo Stuart in this very religious building, in a solemn ceremony celebrated by Cardinal Orsini.
Today the Church of Sant'Anna has a structure with a single nave, with four chapels on each side, with as many altars and works dating back to the early eighteenth century. The upper vault is decorated with frescoes depicting the life of San Domenico and the Battle of Muret while, behind the main altar, there is another fresco depicting the birth of the Virgin Mary. The high altar, made with polychrome marble inlaid by the illustrious Tuscan artist Pietro Ghetti, is closed off by a marble balustrade that features the Tocco coat of arms and, at its feet, is the mass grave. Even today the link between the Church of Sant'Anna and the feudal lords of Montemiletto is testified by some details, such as the large commemorative plaque to Carlo Tocco, present outside the main door, and the large family coat of arms behind the main altar.
A perfect example of Baroque art in Irpinia, the Church of Sant'Anna di Montemiletto does not fail to recall, in more detail, the importance of the noble family in the growth and splendor of the Montemiletto community. read less
