Chiesa di San Bartolomeo

San Bartolomeo Apostolo is Gambatesa’s parish church, close to the castle. Three naves and twelve substantial pillars establish the rhythm of its interior.

Why it matters

The church has long served as a religious landmark of the town. Its architecture records successive alterations rather than one consistently applied style.

What to notice

Round arches connect the pillars along the length of the hall. The proportions of the three-aisled interior give the building a substantial presence within the tightly grouped historic settlement.

Context and history

Cardinal Orsini, then Archbishop of Benevento and later Pope Benedict XIII, consecrated the church on 16 July 1696. A restoration campaign in the late nineteenth century involved the parish, residents and municipality. That rebuilding forms another chapter in the long history of a church repeatedly adapted to local religious life.