Chiesa parrocchiale di San Tommaso Apostolo

San Tommaso Apostolo is Barrea's principal parish church. Its medieval origins, Renaissance portal and layers of rebuilding reflect the history of the village and its seismic and wartime losses.

Why it matters

The church has medieval origins and a recorded consecration on 2 April 1300. It became a parish in 1540, when it received its baptismal font, and served the lay community of the medieval village.

What to notice

The late-Renaissance portal, dated 1569, has fluted columns with Ionic capitals and a carved stone architrave. Inside, frescoes by Paolo Gamba of Ripabottoni were completed in 1772. Postwar paintings by Eroli of Rome decorate the wall behind the high altar.

The bell tower was damaged in the earthquake of 1706 and rebuilt by 1710. A fire during the Second World War destroyed the wooden choir, pulpit, crucifix and parish archive, which had preserved a long historical record.

Context and history

The village developed around the Benedictine house of Lo Studio, and the church served its lay community. Its elevation to parish status in 1540 formalised that role. The 1706 earthquake damaged the bell tower, which was rebuilt by 1710.

During the Second World War, fire destroyed furnishings, decoration and the historic archive. Postwar restoration included paintings behind the main altar. A further earthquake in 1984 caused partial collapse of the vault and deep cracks; these were repaired and consolidated.