L'Aquila

Church of the Saints in L'Aquila

In the city of L'Aquila you can find one of the most beautiful churches in the Abruzzo region - the Church of St. Mary of the Helper or as it is also called the Church of the Holy Souls (La chiesa di Santa Maria del Suffragio, Chiesa delle Anime Sante), founded in 1713 as a room for the brotherhood of the Virgin Mary of the Helper, or suffragists, from which she got her name.

Story

The decision to build the church was made after the earthquake in 1703, when the old oratorio of the brotherhood was almost completely destroyed. Over the next 10 years, disputes continued about its location. The dispute was resolved in 1713, when the foundation was laid on the main square in L'Aquila. The creation of the building itself began in 1715 and ended in mid-1775.
The work was entrusted to Carlo Buratti, a student of Carlo Fontana himself.

Description

The architect designed a rectangular building with a cylindrical vault, with two aisles on each side. The standard was taken by the Church of Jesus (Il Gesu, Chiesa del Gesu) in Rome. The presbyter housed the transept and lighting of this part due to the large eight windows. The dominant element was the neoclassical dome, completed only in 1805 by Giuseppe Valadier.


Already in 1726, suffragists held services inside the church, which had a central altar and 4 side chapels bearing the names of St. Joseph, St. Barbara, St. Anthony of Padua and John the Baptist. In 1753, the construction of the facade was led by Antonio Bucci according to the plan of Gianfrancesco Leomporri.
The facade bends, as if hugging the square. So the building interacts with the city. The facade is divided into five zones by double Corinthian pilasters. A pediment with an allegorical image of death is installed above the entrance to the church. The central element of the building is the medallion of Our Lady.

Our days

As a result of the earthquake on April 6, 2009, the church was destroyed. The restoration of the church took 4 years and was financed by France (3 million 250 thousand euros) by order of President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Today, the Church of the Holy Souls is open to parishioners and visitors.

How to get there

A bus from Gruppo Baltour runs every half hour to Aquila from Rome, the trip takes 1.5 hours. The fare is from 9 to 11.50 euros. You can view the bus schedule and book a ticket at www.baltour.it. You can also travel around the Abruzzo region on a rented car, you can choose the right option using the auto.italy4.me service

Popular Posts

Category L'Aquila, Next Article

The best hotels of Milan 5 stars
Cities of Italy

The best hotels of Milan 5 stars

Milan knows no shortage of excellent hotels, but even among them there are exclusive options. Some of them can hardly even be called housing. Rather, this is another luxurious addition to the treasury of impressions from visiting the Italian capital of business and fashion. In this article, we tried to collect 5 of the most remarkable hotels in the city of the "Major League" for those who travel to Milan with a special occasion.
Read More
Trains from Verona: timetables, stations, tickets
Cities of Italy

Trains from Verona: timetables, stations, tickets

Verona is one of Italy's cities that far exceeds travelers' expectations. In addition, the city is well located almost halfway between Milan and Venice and it is easy to call here for 1 day, even impromptu. And since the railway is the most convenient transport for traveling to Verona from other cities in Italy, in this article we will tell you in detail about trains from Verona to the most interesting places in the vicinity.
Read More
9 main attractions of Rome with free admission
Cities of Italy

9 main attractions of Rome with free admission

In Rome there are a huge number of attractions of world significance. It’s not so easy to get into some of them. But there are those that can be examined completely freely. In this article, BlogoItaliano has collected for you 9 of the most interesting places in Rome, where you can get for free. Helpful Hint: When preparing for a trip to Rome, set up an iPhone ready-made audio tour of the most popular route in the city.
Read More