The site on which stands the modern church dedicated to St. Anthony and Falco martyr, has preserves a sacred value during the entire history of Palena: here stood a pagan temple dedicated to Hercules or Jupiter; on top of it in the eighteenth century, the Benedictine monks vulturnensi built a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Many and many times the church was destroyed and rebuilt; the eleventh century Counts Valva part of a large campaign of restoration and embellishment of the sacred buildings of their feud renewed the building: it is testament to a series of chapters found in the course of the modern reconstruction of the complex.
During a pastoral visit by the bishop Valva, dating from the year 1383 we arranged the dedication of the new church to the saints Anthony and Falco and the transfer of the remains of the latter from the church of Sant'Egidio in this place.
The 1706 earthquake irreparably damaged the ancient medieval building, leaving miraculously unharmed the relics of Saint Falco: the whole community strove to build a new church dedicated to the two patron saints of the town; There were proudly displayed columns and stucco finely crafted architectural elements of Baroque style.
After a century after the reconstruction, the church was rebuilt again for being too small for the needs of the community in the second half of the nineteenth century there was a congrigation of about 5000 souls all workers who has been attracted to the town by the production of woolen cloth.
The architect Raffaele Chiaverini designed the new project and the master De Pamphilis gave it life: the old building demolished in 1841, the new church was completed in 1844.
It was a building with three aisles and transept inscribed with a circular apse at the end of the aisle; the three aisles were separated by a system of four fluted columns arranged on the two sides of the main aisle. Below the complex is developed a crypt still existing but not accessible. The church was really impressive, but it also had a short life; In November 1943, the British bombing also struck this holy place, reducing it to rubble.
In 1953 the new church was built, this too with three naves with a transept, which abuts the old nineteenth-century bell tower: the interior, in its modern simplicity preserves important works of art and faith.
The alcove of the left aisle houses the precious body of St. Falco made in 1842 by Domenico Capozzi from Naples whose work was paid 1050 ducati: bust keeps inside the skull of St. Falco, who was moved to the new church in 1847 during a ceremony celebrated by the Bishop of Sulmona Mario Myron. It's was considered one of the best works of Capozzi who was busy in Naples with important committees for the church of San Gennaro. On either side of the apse are placed two wooden techeari: one on the left contains the relics and tunic of St. Falco and the one on the right contains other relics of the saint along with those of St. Innocent, St. Celestine, Santa Reparata, Santa Modesta and San Marciano .
On the left wall of the chancel, is a full length statue of St. Nicholas of Forca Palena and on the right a bust of San'Antonino Martyr.
On the right side of the chancel, is proudly displayed a copy of a canvas, painted in oil by Oreste Recchione (the original is kept at the seat of the Diocese of Sulmona and Valva), depicting the Miracle of Saint Falco, on his left stands the statue of San Rocco a work by Giuseppe Stuflesser from Altoatestino, while on the right is the statue of St. Emidio, made according to the traditional mode of "crow" on a wooden skeleton is placed the wood bust of the statue: only the visible parts - hands and face - are made of painted pottery
The site on which stands the modern church dedicated to St. Anthony and Falco martyr, has preserves a sacred value during the entire history of Palena: here stood a pagan temple dedicated to Hercules or Jupiter; on top of it in the eighteenth century, the Benedictine monks vulturnensi built a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Many and many times the church was destroyed and rebuilt; the eleventh century Counts Valva part of a large campaign of restoration and embellishment of the sacred buildings of their feud renewed the building: it is testament to a series of chapters found in the course of the modern reconstruction of the complex.
During a pastoral visit by the bishop Valva, dating from the year 1383 we arranged the dedication of the new church to the saints Anthony and Falco and the transfer of the remains of the latter from the church of Sant'Egidio in this place.
The 1706 earthquake irreparably damaged the ancient medieval building, leaving miraculously unharmed the relics of Saint Falco: the whole community strove to build a new church dedicated to the two patron saints of the town; There were proudly displayed columns and stucco finely crafted architectural elements of Baroque style.
After a century after the reconstruction, the church was rebuilt again for being too small for the needs of the community in the second half of the nineteenth century there was a congrigation of about 5000 souls all workers who has been attracted to the town by the production of woolen cloth.
The architect Raffaele Chiaverini designed the new project and the master De Pamphilis gave it life: the old building demolished in 1841, the new church was completed in 1844.
It was a building with three aisles and transept inscribed with a circular apse at the end of the aisle; the three aisles were separated by a system of four fluted columns arranged on the two sides of the main aisle. Below the complex is developed a crypt still existing but not accessible. The church was really impressive, but it also had a short life; In November 1943, the British bombing also struck this holy place, reducing it to rubble.
In 1953 the new church was built, this too with three naves with a transept, which abuts the old nineteenth-century bell tower: the interior, in its modern simplicity preserves important works of art and faith.
The alcove of the left aisle houses the precious body of St. Falco made in 1842 by Domenico Capozzi from Naples whose work was paid 1050 ducati: bust keeps inside the skull of St. Falco, who was moved to the new church in 1847 during a ceremony celebrated by the Bishop of Sulmona Mario Myron. It's was considered one of the best works of Capozzi who was busy in Naples with important committees for the church of San Gennaro. On either side of the apse are placed two wooden techeari: one on the left contains the relics and tunic of St. Falco and the one on the right contains other relics of the saint along with those of St. Innocent, St. Celestine, Santa Reparata, Santa Modesta and San Marciano .
On the left wall of the chancel, is a full length statue of St. Nicholas of Forca Palena and on the right a bust of San'Antonino Martyr.
On the right side of the chancel, is proudly displayed a copy of a canvas, painted in oil by Oreste Recchione (the original is kept at the seat of the Diocese of Sulmona and Valva), depicting the Miracle of Saint Falco, on his left stands the statue of San Rocco a work by Giuseppe Stuflesser from Altoatestino, while on the right is the statue of St. Emidio, made according to the traditional mode of "crow" on a wooden skeleton is placed the wood bust of the statue: only the visible parts - hands and face - are made of painted pottery
