Ex Cattedrale di Santa Maria delle Grazie

Santa Maria delle Grazie in Massa Lubrense was the cathedral of the town's former diocese from its completion in the sixteenth century until the see was suppressed in 1818.

Why it matters

The church embodies Massa Lubrense's institutional history and preserves works from the period when the town had its own bishop. Its furnishings and art reflect centuries of religious patronage and local devotion.

What to notice

A glazed majolica floor, polychrome marble altars and paintings by Marco Cardisco and Girolamo Imparato distinguish the interior. The sacristy preserves portraits of bishops and a reliquary bust of San Gennaro, while the adjoining bell tower was rebuilt in the twentieth century.

Context and history

Construction began in 1512, and the church was consecrated in 1543. It served as the cathedral of the Diocese of Massa Lubrense until the diocese was suppressed in 1818 and incorporated into the Archdiocese of Sorrento. The church was enriched and restored in later centuries, including after earthquake damage in the late seventeenth century.