Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Abate

Behind the plain facade on Via Cavour, Sant'Antonio Abate combines a sculpted portal bearing the date 1118 with a Baroque interior and a distinctive bell tower. Its late-medieval origins and later decoration make it one of Agnone's notable churches.

Why it matters

The portal inscription gives the date 1118, while some accounts record 1128. The church's present fabric is later: the state catalogue dates it to 1692–1695. Its 18th-century paintings and tower begun in 1725 reflect another phase in the building's history.

What to notice

The Gothic portal carries the carved date and is topped by a later Baroque window. Inside, the single nave has ten side niches, a raised presbytery and a marble balustrade. The organ loft above the entrance holds an instrument by the D'Onofrio family of Poggio Sannita. The 1793 Last Judgement fresco is signed by Francesco Palumbo; other paintings depict the sacrifice of Isaac, the expulsion from Eden and Moses receiving the Tablets. The bell tower has three orders and classical details associated with Vanvitelli's style, but remains unfinished at its crown.

Context and history

Sources associate the church's foundation with 1118, the date carved on its portal, although 1128 is also reported. The current building was constructed between 1692 and 1695. The 18th century brought its painting programme and the beginning of the bell tower in 1725.