Santuario di Santa Filomena

The Sanctuary of Santa Filomena (Saint Philomena) is a place of worship located close to the municipal buildings in Piazza Umberto I, Mugnano del Cardinale.

The construction of the Church, which was initially dedicated to Our Lady of Graces, lasted for 20 years between 1580 and 1600. The worship of Saint Philomena post-dates the construction of the Church and originates from the early 19th-century, when the saint’s body was found in the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome. A few years later, in 1805, Pope Pius VII presented the Saint’s relics to Fr. Francesco De Lucia, together with a vial of her blood. The priest took the relics back to his native town where they were kept inside the Sanctuary, giving rise to the worship of Saint Philomena. The relics are now kept in a chapel, dedicated to the Saint and built between 1872 and 1877. Like the adjacent church, it is a place of devotion and pilgrimage.

Today the Sanctuary’s magnificent façade stands between twin bell towers with a square floor plan, framing the central cupola and surmounted by a small cylindrical tower. On the lower part of the façade, the finely-worked bronze portal opens into a mystical temple of incredible beauty which contains several important works of art. On the high altar stands the statue of Our Lady of the Graces by the Neapolitan sculptor Giacomo Colombo (1663-1731). The wooden ceiling is decorated with a dozen gold-framed paintings of scenes depicting the life of Mary. There are frescoes of the Evangelists in the crests of the luminous cupola.

As a temple of faith and a spiritual destination, the Sanctuary of Santa Filomena is an architectural and religious landmark for Lower Irpinia. Each year, the 10th of August is dedicated to celebrations and festivals in honour of the patron saint, including the must-see "Processione dei Battenti” (Procession of the Barefoot Confreres), which attracts huge crowds.