Sant'Antonio (Campi, Norcia)

History of the church of Sant'Antonio in Campi

The church was built in 1358 in Gothic style, together with a hospital. It was later completely rebuilt between the 14th and 16th centuries. In the 16th century the portal and the roof were redone, and in 1575 the stone holy water font was installed.

In 1927 a painted Cross with the crucified Christ was found inside, a work by Petrus Pictor dating from the first half of the 13th century. It is now kept at the Museo Civico Diocesano in Norcia.

Every 13 January, the feast of Sant'Antonio, the church opened to the public. Mass and the blessing of the animals were celebrated, and an auction was held of the ewe lambs offered by the village shepherds.

What to see in the church of Sant'Antonio

Outside, the 16th-century stone facade stands out. It is taller than the body of the church and ends with a pediment and an oculus. Of the Gothic structure, fragments of the portal remain, with bas-reliefs of two lions and the Agnus Dei, and a small statue of Sant'Antonio Abate (Saint Anthony the Abbot) in a niche, with his traditional piglet.

The interior has a trussed roof resting on pillars. It held 15th-century frescoes and, on the right wall, a mural triptych by Antonio Sparapane from the early 1400s, with Sant'Antonio Abate and a Madonna and Child between two saints. In the presbytery there were wooden statues of San Biagio and Sant'Antonio Abate. The high altar with tabernacle came from the monastery of Sant'Orsola.

How to visit the church of Sant'Antonio

The church is in Campi, one of the villages hardest hit by the 2016 earthquake. It should not be considered open to visitors. Before planning a visit, it is worth asking the town of Norcia or the Pro Loco of Campi for information. From outside, the position of the building can still be recognized.

Where the church of Sant'Antonio is located

The church stands in Campi, in the lower part of the village. It is at the junction between the old road that led to Visso and the one that climbs to the upper part of the castle.

Around the church of Sant'Antonio in Campi

Other churches in Campi were also affected by the earthquake. The pieve of San Salvatore, rich in 15th-century frescoes, collapsed in 2016, and the church of Sant'Andrea lost parts of the building, including the facade.

In Norcia it is possible to visit the Basilica of San Benedetto in Norcia, which collapsed in 2016 and reopened in 2025 after restoration. Other places of worship in the area are on the page churches of the Sibillini Mountains.