Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria (Comunanza)

History of the Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

A place of worship dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria already existed in the center of Comunanza in the Late Middle Ages. Between the end of the 13th century and the first years of the next, the parish functions were transferred there; before that they had belonged to some small rural churches. The church is mentioned in the land register of 1381 and in an inventory of February 12, 1450.

In 1573 the auxiliary bishop of Ravenna, Giovanni Battista Maremonti, on an apostolic visit, ordered some improvements. In 1586 the parish, until then part of the diocese of Fermo, passed to the newly created diocese of Montalto. In the 18th century the building was in poor condition, as the pastoral visit of Bishop Leonardo Cecconi in 1750 confirms.

In 1805 rebuilding the church from scratch was considered. Work began in 1818 and ended in 1824, and the consecration took place a few years later. About fifty years afterward, water seepage appeared, damaging above all the decoration of the apse. After the 1915 earthquake, an extensive restoration with repair work was carried out. After the Second Vatican Council the old high altar was replaced by a new one facing the congregation.

What to see in the Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

The facade is divided by four Tuscan pilasters on a high base. In the center is the portal with a pediment, with two windows one above the other above it. At the top run the entablature with the dedicatory inscription and the triangular pediment. The square bell tower stands against the church: the belfry has one round-arched single-light window on each side and is topped by a pyramidal spire.

The interior has a single nave, with side altars and walls divided by fluted columns with Doric capitals. The roof is a barrel vault. At the end, a few steps lead up to the presbytery, closed by the semicircular apse.

The works include the 17th-century Via Crucis and two canvases by Giuseppe Ghezzi: Saints John the Baptist and Juliana with the souls in Purgatory, and Saint Liborius. There is also the altarpiece of the Madonna di Loreto, by Pier Leone Ghezzi and Antonio Amorosi. The organ, built in the 16th century, was added to and altered in later centuries.

How to visit the Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

Santa Caterina is a working parish church: the parish of Santa Caterina di Alessandria in Comunanza celebrates both weekday and Sunday Masses. The church is recognized as Italian cultural heritage. For openings outside services, it is best to contact the parish; the contacts are in the box on this page.

Where the Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria is

The church stands in the center of Comunanza, in the province of Ascoli Piceno. The facade faces southwest. The town lies in a valley crossed by the Aso river, at 448 meters above sea level.

Around the Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

Lago di Gerosa is a reservoir opened in 1983 that marks the boundary between the municipalities of Montemonaco, Montefortino and Comunanza. Fishing, sailing and canoeing are practiced there. Comunanza is also a starting point for exploring both the Sibillini and the hills of the Marche. Other churches in the area are gathered on the page about the churches of the Sibillini Mountains.