Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta

The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Saint Mary of the Assumption) is a place of worship located in Bagnoli Irpino, in Piazza Umberto I.

Wood, stone and canvas tell the story of the faith of this religious building, built around the 12th century on the Giudeca hill, where the first community of Bagnola was established. Enlarged in the 16th century, the Church survived the fire of 1651, after which the main entrance, the presbytery, the choir and the apse were rebuilt. It has a Latin cross layout, with a nave, two aisles and two transepts, and preserves the old entrance door, which faces the historic centre, and the main altar, now known as the "Cappellone", opposite the entrance to the Church.

The many sculptures, paintings and works by well-known artists, such as Domenico Di Venuta (1687-1744) from Bagnola, who created the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, with its very special gold thread-embroidered dress, and Andrea D'Asti (1674-1721), who painted the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist and the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows, make the Collegiate Church a temple of art and faith. Another painting, depicting the Immaculate Conception protecting Bagnoli, and a sculpture of Saint Francis enrich the artistic testimony of faith. The most precious work of art, however, is hidden behind the altar and, to access it, you have to go through the sacristy: it is the wooden choir, made between 1652 and 1657 by the Bagnoli artists Scipione Infante (1607-1657) and Giacomo Bonavita (1600-1656). Majestic with its 19 seats in a rectangular shape, it is a veritable tale carved in wood, from which the protagonist figures of the scenes from the Old Testament, in high relief, and those from the New Testament, in bas relief, stand out.

A precious artistic heritage in the heart of Bagnoli Irpino, the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta undoubtedly represents the religious symbol of the local community.