Chiesa della SS. Annunziata di Sperone

The Church of the Santissima Annunziata (Most Holy Annunciation) in Sperone is located on Via Nazionale delle Puglie.

It was built in 1727 on the main road along which the present-day village developed. Following the decline of the Chapel of Sant'Elia Profeta (Saint Elijah the Prophet), that is the current church of the same name that faces onto the street of the same name, in 1769 all functions were transferred to the new parish church, which had been renovated after the earthquake of 23 November, 1980.

Today, the Church has an austere, linear façade, in which the yellow pilasters stand out against the lighter plaster. The doorway that precedes the wooden door is surmounted by a large rectangular stained-glass window depicting a crucifix. The front façade is completed by a small bell gable. The sacred space preserves precious sacred furnishings and beautiful wooden statues, dating back to the early 20th century. The interior features a single nave, at the end of which, beyond the balustrade, stands the imposing main altar in polychrome marble with baroque decorations, dominated by the Throne of the Prophet Elijah: a magnificent marble aedicule, adorned with putti and columns, which houses the venerated statue of the patron saint. The sacred sculpture is carried in procession through the town streets to the Church of Sant'Elia Profeta on the Feast of the Majo on 20 February and the patron saint's festival on 20 July, held every year in Sperone. Finally, two marble slabs show the dates of the restorations in 1896 and 1989, the latter necessitated by the devastating earthquake of 1980.

The work on the Church of the Santissima Annunziata (Most Holy Annunciation) restored a sacred and welcoming place to the community of Sperone, where they could worship the prophet of miracles with the same heartfelt devotion as ever.