5 things to see in Sant’Agnello
Between Piano di Sorrento and Sorrento, just over 20 kilometers from our boutique hotel, lies the small town of Sant’Agnello, characterized by the quiet of its streets and the beauty of the landscape. Even though it only became independent in 1866, it has a very ancient history behind it. According to some scholars, its origins date back to about two centuries before the foundation of Rome. Despite being one of the smallest municipalities in Campania, there is no shortage of things to see. We have selected 5 not to be missed.
The Angri district
Our advice is to start your visit to Sant’Agnello with a walk in the Angri district, the oldest of the five districts into which the town is divided. Most of the buildings date back to the 18th century but the building that characterizes the entire area is the Church of the Santissima Annunziata, built before the 15th century in neoclassical style. Inside you can admire a beautiful panel depicting the Annunciation by the Neapolitan master Silvestro Buono. In the district there is the Cereria Sessa, the only remaining factory on the Sorrento peninsula specialized in the artisanal production of wax candles. The town develops around the district, which has its crossroads in Piazza Matteotti.
The Church of San Giuseppe
From Piazza Matteotti a narrow staircase leads to Piazza Giovanni XXIII, overlooked by the Church of San Giuseppe, one of the most beautiful on the Sorrento peninsula. It was built in the first half of the 20th century at the behest of the Confraternity of the Sacred Heart of Mary and Saint Joseph. It has a splendid white marble façade adorned with a bas-relief representing Saint Joseph among the Angels and two statues of Saint Peter and Paul. The interior is embellished with various frescoes by the Veronese painter Agostino Pegrassi, among which the central one of the vault stands out, which depicts “The Glory of Saint Joseph”, “The Marriage of Saint Joseph and Mary” and “The Transit of Saint Joseph” .
The Church of Saints Prisco and Agnello
Another religious building not to be missed is the Church of Saints Prisco and Agnello, dedicated to the patron saint of the town and to San Prisco, who represented the original name. There is no precise information regarding the construction date. We certainly know that a small chapel already existed in the 15th century. Expanded several times over time, it stands almost on the border with the municipality of Sorrento. In it you can admire numerous paintings of notable artistic value such as the painting by Gustavo Mancinelli placed on the main altar, depicting the Madonna holding the baby Jesus in her arms with the saints Prisco and Agnello and in the background citrus groves of Sorrento, Punta Gradelle and some sailing ships in sea.
The Oasi in Città
A few steps from the Church of Saints Prisco and Agnello is the Oasi in Città, a park conceived and designed by the WWF Terre del Tirreno with the municipal administration. It covers an area of four thousand square meters and includes around 6,000 plants, of 70 different tree species, almost all native. The area winds through several thematic areas: the wild meadow, the hedge, the butterfly garden, the bio-lake, the shady forest, the pine forest, the fruit tree avenue, the medicinal plants, the Mediterranean scrub, the corner of the ferns, the citrus grove, the area of agricultural traditions, the flower tunnel and the hazelnut tunnel.
The Church of the Capuchin Friars
Finally, the Church of the Capuchin Friars, with adjoining convent, is also worth a visit, located on the tufaceous ridge overlooking the Marinella, an ancient seaside village now renowned as a bathing establishment. The complex was built in 1586 but years later, following the landslide of the rock on which it stood, it was destroyed and rebuilt again. Its current appearance is the result of various transformations and expansions carried out over the centuries. Although it is a small church, various works of great value are preserved inside, such as the canvas representing the Madonna venerated by Saints Francis and John by the artist Eduardo Scarpati from Metese.
