Co-cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel

The Co-Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is Sarno’s main religious building and holds a precious heritage of works of art that tell its long history. Over the centuries it has gone through phases of destruction and rebirth, becoming one of the community’s most representative and identifying places.

The present building stands on the site of the ancient cathedral from 1066, in the settlement of Episcopio. However, the old Romanesque building was demolished and rebuilt from the foundations in the 17th century: only the bell tower, incorporated into the new facade, remains today of the original layout.

The church then underwent various interventions over the centuries, until the 1980 earthquake, which seriously damaged the structure. Restorations, completed in 1989, returned the image we know today, respecting the original 17th-century layout.

The facade and the interior architectural space

The facade of the Co-cathedral, divided into two orders, is a fine example of local Renaissance architecture. In the tympanum stands out the statue of St. Michael the Archangel with unsheathed sword, flanked by busts of the apostles Peter and Paul. On the white marble lintel appear the coat of arms of Bishop Castelblanco and two Latin inscriptions commemorating the consecration of the church and the year of its reconstruction.

Inside, one enters a single nave, wide and bright, flanked by eight side chapels connected to the nave by large arches. The eye is guided to the raised chancel, introduced by an elegant triumphal arch in gray tuff, which accentuates the sense of depth and solemnity of the room.

Seventeenth-century decorations and the works of Solimena

Among the most fascinating elements of the Co-cathedral is the great wooden coffered ceiling, made in the second half of the 17th century. The twenty-one gilded canvases that decorate it, the work of the workshop of Angelo and Francesco Solimena, recount episodes related to the apparitions of St. Michael and the angels, from the Old Testament to the New Testament to the Christian tradition. The main scenes, painted by Angelo from designs by Francesco, depict such moments as the plague in Rome, which was tamed by the Archangel’s intervention, and his protection over the souls in Purgatory.

Also noteworthy is the majestic cone of the presbytery, the work of Angelo Solimena: in the center stands St. Michael defeating Lucifer, flanked by the apostles Peter and Paul.
Along the nave are chapels dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Sorrows, Mary Queen of Saints, the Sacred Heart and the Rosary. Highlights include the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, which houses a painting by Angelo Solimena, and the Chapel of St. Michael, where the venerated silver statue of the city’s patron saint is kept.