Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista di Contrada

The Church of San Giovanni Battista (Saint John the Baptist) in Contrada is located in Via Luigi Bruno, in the historic centre of the Irpinian town.

The religious building dates back to the 15th century and was built on the ruins of a previous sacred place. The considerable restoration of the beginning of the 18th century, which gave it a Neapolitan Baroque style, is only one of the renovations that the Church has undergone over the centuries.

On the outside, the façade has two levels, a lower and an upper one: the former features a beautiful portal, the latter a large central window and, to the side, a smaller window and a clock. The interior has a nave and two aisles: the nave is barrel-vaulted and ends with a domed apse, the two side aisles are with ribbed vault. In addition to the main altar, there are six altars in the two side aisles. The walls and ceiling are adorned with admirable stuccoes and frescoes. Several works of art enrich the artistic heritage, such as the fifteen paintings depicting episodes from the New Testament and the paintings by the local artist Vegliante, dating from the 17th century, depicting the Assumption, birth and death of Saint John the Baptist. Among the sculptures, the Statue of Saint John and Saint Michael stand out.

A religious symbol of the Contrada community, the Church of San Giovanni Battista has withstood the elements and natural disasters over the centuries, thanks also to numerous restorations that have restored it to its former splendour.