The church of Sant’Antonio Abate in Campobasso

Compared to other Italian regions which constituted the kingdom of Naples, Molise retains few traces of Baroque art. Some buildings, especially churches, have special elements, often added to existing buildings but after the heyday of the Baroque. This is the case, for example, of the Church of the Annunziata (Annunciation) in Venafro, built in the fourteenth century and extensively renovated between the seventeenth and eighteenth century, or the church of Santa Maria Assunta (Saint Mary of the Assumption) in Montorio nei Frentani, which collapsed in the earthquake of 1656 and was rebuilt between 1731 and 1738. The examples of the Baroque in Molise are the result of the contribution of the local lords, but also of the dioceses of the region, especially in the period in which Giovanni Andrea Tria (1676-1761) was bishop of LarinoLarino is a small town in Molise, in the province of Campobasso.

The most representative monument of Baroque art in the region is in the regional capital, Campobasso. The church of Sant’Antonio Abate (Saint Anthony the Abbot), built in the late sixteenth century on the ruins of a previous small church, is also the result of a layering of styles of many phases and restorations. It has a simple façade, completely plastered, and a portal of entry with a curved pediment, surmounted by a rose window. The internal structure is equally simple, with a single nave, but inside there are works of fine workmanship (photo by Stefano Romano).

In addition to elements of a later period, such as the high altar in full polychrome marble, Rococo style and dated 1748, there are also good examples of Baroque art. The four altars placed on the side walls, dedicated to Saint Benedict, the Sacred Heart, Saint Anthony the Abbot and the Crucifix are all carved in wood, with rich ornaments and covered in gold leaf. Inside the wooden cornice are paintings and sculptures that enrich the four altars. Two canvases on the first altar on the left – the most famous, Saint Benedict exorcises a possessed man, painted in 1643, and a depiction of the Pietà – are fruit of the mastery of the artist Francesco Guarini from SolofraAn Italian painter born in Solofra, in the province of Avellino, Francesco Guarini (1611-1651) was an important interpreter of Baroque art in Italy. Trained in Naples, he also worked in Campobasso, in his native Solofra and Gravina di Puglia. Tied to the powerful Orsini family, he died at just 40 years of age. of Neapolitan school. Guarini has two other paintings, The Baptist and Pope Saint Gregory, surmounted by two smaller ones, Saint Anthony and Saint Francis, which flank the niche with a statue of the Virgin and Child in the second altar on the left. Another Neapolitan artist, Paolo FinoglioPaolo Domenico Finoglio, or Finoglia (1590-1645) was a Neapolitan painter. His most famous works are preserved in the capitular room of the Charterhouse of San Martino in Naples, and in Conversano, a fief of the powerful family of the Acquaviva., is the author of the lunette depicting the Eternal Father, that refers to a work originally located on the second altar on the right but which later disappeared, probably as a result of the French presence in Campobasso in 1799.

The painter Michele ScaroinaOriginally, in all probability, from Campobasso, very little is known about the life of this painter. His works include the Coronation of Mary and the saints in the church of San Nicola (Saint Nicholas) in Celanza Valfortore, the Madonna and Child with Saint Nicholas, Saint Peter and Saint Anthony in the church of Santa Maria Assunta (Saint Mary of the Assumption) in Mirabello Sannitica and some paintings now preserved in the Royal Palace of Caserta., a native of the capital of Molise, was the author of the frescoes that are in the upper part of the walls and also the paintings that adorned the ceiling of the Church and deteriorated over time and were substituted by Lucifer’s Expulsion from Paradise by Amedeo TrivisonnoA painter born in Campobasso, Amedeo Trivisonno (1904-1996) has left frescoes in various churches of Italy. He lived a long time and finally died in Florence.. Other paintings, such as The Temptation of Saint Anthony, on the back wall of the choir, are from the end of the sixteenth century and are of Flemish inspiration.

Among the sculptures there are valuable wooden statues of Saint Anthony the Abbot, dating to the sixteenth century, and Saint Francis, the work of the eighteenth century artist from Campobasso Paolo Saverio di ZinnoPaolo Saverio Zinno (1718-1781) was born and died in Campobasso, but was trained in Naples. A great wood sculptor, head for a few years of the Brotherhood of Santa Maria della Croce (Saint Mary of the Cross), he reached the peak of his career with the reconstruction of the Mysteries of Corpus Christi. His wooden sculptures, all of sacred character, are now preserved in various churches of Molise, Campania, Puglia and Abruzzo.. The organ on the left wall, also made of carved wood covered with gold and richly decorated, dates from 1696. The area of the sanctuary was originally covered by a dome, then demolished on account of stability problems and replaced by a flat roof, painted by the painter from Molise, Leo PaglioneGiovanni Leo Paglione (1917-2004) was a painter of Molise, a pupil of Amedeo Trivisonno.. The bell tower, heavily damaged by an earthquake, was rebuilt in 1864.