The Mother Church of St. Nicholas and St. Anne is the spiritual heart of Savignano Irpino, set among the narrow streets of the historic center, where the stone tells centuries of history and devotion. It stands near the ancient walls of the Guevara Castle, as if symbolizing the indissoluble union between temporal and spiritual power that has shaped the life of the village for centuries.
On the outside, the church has a facade in late Romanesque style, sober but solemn, made by local stonemasons with live stone extracted from the “Targiana,” a quarry located between Savignano Irpino and Monteleone di Puglia. The central portal, surmounted by a rose window and a lunette depicting St. Anne, welcomes visitors with an image of the town’s patron saint. On its sides are two smaller portals, also crowned by rose windows, which complete the harmonious balance of the facade.
The interior of the church is structured in the shape of a Latin cross, with three aisles divided by mighty columns made of living stone, which support elegant and regular arches. The high altar, placed on a raised level, dominates the sacred space and is embellished with polychrome marble reflecting the soft light filtered through small windows. Pictorial decorations include fine frescoes, such as one depicting the marriage between the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, while an eighteenth-century statue of St. Anne, the object of veneration during the patronal feast in July, is housed in a niche.
The bell tower, now topped by a pyramidal dome, is actually the oldest element of the entire complex. It was originally a tower, built between the 13th and 14th centuries, which survived over the centuries until the 1938 earthquake, when it was severely damaged and then rebuilt. Behind the apparent compactness of the building, literally nestled among other buildings in the center, lies a complex and fascinating architectural articulation. A feature in its own right is the 1514 baptistery, located to the right of the main portal, perhaps part of the ancient castle chapel, also embellished with a finely worked stone portal.
Over the centuries, the church has undergone transformations and restorations: there was once a crypt where the dead were buried, now lost. Yet, despite the wounds of time, this place retains its symbolic and artistic value intact. The Mother Church of St. Nicholas and St. Anne is more than just a religious building: it is the silent guardian of the faith, history and beauty of Savignano Irpino.
Ph. Antonello Granato