Chiesa di San Bernardino

The Church of San Bernardino is a place of worship in Mirabella Eclano, on the street of the same name in the historic centre of the town.

The religious building reflects the cult of Saint Bernardine of Siena, which is very deeply rooted in the Eclano community and whose widest diffusion dates back to the second half of the 16th century. The Church was built in his honour in 1698, while the interior decoration was carried out from 1740 onwards. Over the years, the structure has undergone numerous transformations, also as a result of frequent earthquakes, including those of 1962 and 1980 that damaged the original structure.

Today the Church is distinguished by its single-nave structure with a chapel, two side altars and the main altar. Inside, there is a low wooden ceiling entirely decorated with scenes depicting the twelve virtues painted in tempera by Leonardo Pallante, while in the centre is a painting by an unknown artist depicting Saint Bernardine's ascent to heaven.  
The walls of the Church were frescoed by the artist Liborio Pizzella in 1769, with the story of the Saint's life in ten episodes framed in painted frames. On the side walls, there are also two roundels depicting biblical scenes. The surrounding space is occupied by carved wooden stalls, while the floor, dated 1787, is made of majolica.  
The Oratory is attached to the Church, with a painted wooden ceiling and frescoed walls, on which the Passion of Christ is narrated. 

The Church of San Bernardino is an emblem of the profound faith in the Sienese saint, a shining example of religious art that contributes to further embellishing the high cultural level of the Eclano community.