Santuario dei Santi Cosma e Damiano

On a hill above Isernia, the Sanctuary of Saints Cosmas and Damian honours the physician martyrs. Its single nave, coffered wooden ceiling, frescoed apse, silver reliquary busts and collection of ex-votos preserve a long devotional tradition.

Why it matters

The present sanctuary is documented from 1523. The sanctuary remains central to the devotion of Cosmas and Damian in Isernia.

What to notice

The interior has a coffered wooden ceiling attributed to craftsmen from Agnone and an apse with a fresco cycle depicting the saints. Seventeenth-century silver busts contain their relics. Painted tablets, inscribed metal sheets, photographs and figurines form a varied collection of ex-votos.

Context and history

The sanctuary's documented history begins with a record of 1523, the date associated with its present building. The annual feast on 26 and 27 September includes a procession carrying the busts from the cathedral to the sanctuary and the distribution of blessed oil.