The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena in Atrani

Located just over 10 kilometres from our boutique hotel, the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena in Atrani is one of the most unique and fascinating religious buildings on the Amalfi Coast. It rises in an environmental position of remarkable and rare beauty, right in front of the sea, and represents a true architectural jewel, rooted in a millenary history.

It was built in the second half of the 13th century on the ruins of a medieval fortress on the initiative of the people of Atrani, who thus wanted to pay homage and thank the Saint for having freed them from occupation by the Saracen mercenaries of Manfred the Norman (who wanted to punish them for siding with the Pope in the struggle between the papacy and the empire). However, its current appearance is far from the original, as it is the result of continuous restoration and rebuilding. Already in 1570, degraded and in a precarious condition, it was restored thanks to funds raised through special taxes on the import of grain and the export of artefacts.

In 1669, it risked collapsing and underwent a second intervention that also affected the sacristy. On 14 April 1706, the church was elevated to Collegiate status, with a bull by Pope Clement XI. Later, in 1753, as the population had grown, it was enlarged and embellished according to the Baroque taste of the time through donations from private citizens, as well as contributions from the municipal regiment. During this work, the medieval fortress was also permanently demolished. In 1853, it was even modernised by the architect Lorenzo Casalbore of Salerno. The last restoration, as shown by inscriptions on the façade and in the key of the triumphal arch, dates back to 1957.

Outside, the collegiate church is decorated with a lively façade (considered by Schiavo ‘the only example of Rococo on the Amalfi Coast’) divided into two registers by stucco architectural elements (capitals and columns). It is surmounted by a dome covered with green and yellow majolica tiles forming small rhombuses inscribed in turn in larger rhombuses, and by an elegant brown tuff bell tower with a square plan (reminiscent of that of the Madonna del Carmine in Naples) consisting of five storeys (the first three square, the last two octagonal). The tiled dome and bell tower have become the symbol of Atrani’s skyline.

The interior has a floor plan with three naves, separated by polychrome marble pillars. Along the two minor naves are shallow chapels, except for the two located in the presbytery area, which have a special purpose: one, the one on the left, is the Chapel of the Sacrament; the other, the one on the right, is the chapel of a noble Atranese family. The temple has the peculiarity of being provided with two transepts, one of which is covered with vaults covered externally with majolica tiles, while the other has a flat roof. The flooring is of exquisite workmanship, consisting of bichrome (black and white) marble squares, inside which are remarkable decorative elements.

Among the works of art are: the valuable sculpture ‘La Madonna pastorella’ dating back to 1789; the painting ‘L’Incredulità di San Tommaso’ (The Incredulity of St Thomas) by the 16th-century artist from Salerno Andrea Sabatini; and the three painted panels (St Andrew, St Mary Magdalene and St Sebastian) decorating the altar, the work of the Maiorese painter Giovanni Angelo D’Amato.

On 22 July, the Feast of St Mary Magdalene is celebrated, with the traditional procession of the statue, made by local craftsmen in the 18th century, which is carried along the lanes of the village accompanied by prayers on the theme of sorrow or contrition.