On the 21st August, 1537, the faithful people of palena requested Pope Paul III's if they could host the order of monks who observed the rules of the minor brothers. After the closure of the convent of San Francesco, in the center of the town, the order needed a new point of reference. Two years after the request, began the construction of the convent.
The monastery of St. Anthony is developed on the area of the ancient convent of St. Cristinziano, which includes the area of the convent with all the environments useful to the life of the monastic community, and church.
The ecclesiastic building with a single aisle, consists of three sections to which you add the area of the presbytery and the last of the choir. The church reflects the economical capacity of the order, with its system of decorative plaster work, elegant altars, the quality of the paintings on display and that after the earthquake of 1706 they were able to invest significant sums in the restructuring of the complex.
The space of the hall is made up of four sections with low barreled vault ceilings that follow the pattern a / b / a / b where b indicates the bigger sections at the sides where large windows open to give light inside the church ; smaller sections, denoted by the a, have cameos on the side walls with plaster work representation of the Virtues of some of the Saints with history of the church.
Above the presbytery a large dome is inserted on four supports represented in decorative plaster work with four evangelists and in the center of the dome is the dove of the Holy Spirit surrounded by light.
Along the walls of the hall, finds space a theory of three altars on each side: all made of decorative plaster work, show a pattern very similar taken from the best examples of contemporary Neapolitan Baroque. Iin the gable end and at the peak of the arc of each niche, finds space a panel with the depiction of scenes from sacred history, to the sides of the altar are placed cameos with female figures of Saints and Virtues.
On the left wall there are canvas paintings of religious subjects, a Franciscan saint in ecstasy, on the background of the scene, bottom right, there is the entire convent of St. Anthony, St. Bernard that tramples on the miter. While on the high right nearest the altar there is placed a polychrome statue of St. Anthony, which offsets in the corresponding opposite side of the altar, a statue of St. Francis.
Following on the right wall, a canvas painting depicting St. Margaret of Cortona, surrounded by angels. A modern work depicting the martyrdom of St. Stephen, and finally an antique canvas with the image of St. Francis Xavier who evangelized the Indians.
In the area of the altar is preserved a sixteenth century floor made in "Venetian" style.
Behind the marble altar there is revealed the area of the choir, topped by a low barreled vault. On the left side is a picture of the death of St. Joseph, while the picture on the right is St. Francis of Assisi. On the back wall the immaculate Virgin with two cameos, one probably St. Bonaventure and a Franciscan saint of unknown identification.
The area of the convent, which now houses a restaurant, a hotel and a Museum of the Marsicano Bear, is built around a cloister decorated with murals dating back probably to the nineteenth century, while in the old refectory stands a large mural of The Last Supper inspired by the example of Leonardo da Vinci in Milan.
In 1826 a prestigious seminar was held here inaugurating the new formation of the friars minor, furthermore a rich library was added.
On the 21st August, 1537, the faithful people of palena requested Pope Paul III's if they could host the order of monks who observed the rules of the minor brothers. After the closure of the convent of San Francesco, in the center of the town, the order needed a new point of reference. Two years after the request, began the construction of the convent.
The monastery of St. Anthony is developed on the area of the ancient convent of St. Cristinziano, which includes the area of the convent with all the environments useful to the life of the monastic community, and church.
The ecclesiastic building with a single aisle, consists of three sections to which you add the area of the presbytery and the last of the choir. The church reflects the economical capacity of the order, with its system of decorative plaster work, elegant altars, the quality of the paintings on display and that after the earthquake of 1706 they were able to invest significant sums in the restructuring of the complex.
The space of the hall is made up of four sections with low barreled vault ceilings that follow the pattern a / b / a / b where b indicates the bigger sections at the sides where large windows open to give light inside the church ; smaller sections, denoted by the a, have cameos on the side walls with plaster work representation of the Virtues of some of the Saints with history of the church.
Above the presbytery a large dome is inserted on four supports represented in decorative plaster work with four evangelists and in the center of the dome is the dove of the Holy Spirit surrounded by light.
Along the walls of the hall, finds space a theory of three altars on each side: all made of decorative plaster work, show a pattern very similar taken from the best examples of contemporary Neapolitan Baroque. Iin the gable end and at the peak of the arc of each niche, finds space a panel with the depiction of scenes from sacred history, to the sides of the altar are placed cameos with female figures of Saints and Virtues.
On the left wall there are canvas paintings of religious subjects, a Franciscan saint in ecstasy, on the background of the scene, bottom right, there is the entire convent of St. Anthony, St. Bernard that tramples on the miter. While on the high right nearest the altar there is placed a polychrome statue of St. Anthony, which offsets in the corresponding opposite side of the altar, a statue of St. Francis.
Following on the right wall, a canvas painting depicting St. Margaret of Cortona, surrounded by angels. A modern work depicting the martyrdom of St. Stephen, and finally an antique canvas with the image of St. Francis Xavier who evangelized the Indians.
In the area of the altar is preserved a sixteenth century floor made in "Venetian" style.
Behind the marble altar there is revealed the area of the choir, topped by a low barreled vault. On the left side is a picture of the death of St. Joseph, while the picture on the right is St. Francis of Assisi. On the back wall the immaculate Virgin with two cameos, one probably St. Bonaventure and a Franciscan saint of unknown identification.
The area of the convent, which now houses a restaurant, a hotel and a Museum of the Marsicano Bear, is built around a cloister decorated with murals dating back probably to the nineteenth century, while in the old refectory stands a large mural of The Last Supper inspired by the example of Leonardo da Vinci in Milan.
In 1826 a prestigious seminar was held here inaugurating the new formation of the friars minor, furthermore a rich library was added.
