Chiesa parrocchiale di San Paolo Apostolo

The Church of San Paolo Apostolo is closely connected with Campli's Scala Santa. Its relatively restrained architecture forms the setting for a history of confraternity patronage and local religious devotion.

Why it matters

The church may have medieval origins. Its association with the former dedication to the Madonna dei Sette Dolori belongs to the devotional history of the building, alongside its later relationship with the Scala Santa.

What to notice

The church has a single nave and a semicircular apse. A simple portal and bell gable contribute to its exterior, while later alterations have given parts of the interior a neoclassical character. A commemorative plaque near the sacristy recalls the people involved in the adjoining monument's creation.

Context and history

Giampalma Palma, a lawyer and lay confraternity prior, helped secure the papal recognition granted by Clement XIV in 1772. The garden of San Paolo became the site of the Scala Santa, opened in 1776. The church and staircase therefore preserve complementary aspects of Campli's religious history: an established place of worship and an ambitious eighteenth-century devotional project.