Chiesa di S. Maria Maggiore di Montemiletto

The Church of Santa Maria di Montemiletto, also known as the Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption, is situated in Via Regina Margherita, in the historic centre of this Irpinian town.

Originally built in the 15th century and then rebuilt in the 16th, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major) is noteworthy, as in 1686 it was found to house the relics of the martyrs Saint Philip, Saint Victor, Saint Flora Virgin and Saint James the Apostle.

With a characteristic rectangular shape, the Church has a typically Romanesque façade decorated by a stone portal with a triangular pediment and an alcove above. Next to the Church is the bell tower, which has four bands and is accessed through a stone archway depicting the crest of Montemiletto, thought to have been sculpted in 1756.

The Church of S. Maria Maggiore has a Latin cross floor plan divided by four lines of columns, the first two forming the higher central nave and the other two half-set into the side walls. The central nave has a semicircular vault, decorated with frescoes depicting the prophets and scenes from the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Assumption of the Virgin. The dome is circular and illuminated by eight windows. 
In addition to the common grave below the floor, this Church has no fewer than eight tombs: one for the clergy, four for the universitas and the other three for the dynasties of Montemiletto: the Baratta, the Capobianco, the Paladino and the Fina families.

As a religious symbol for the community of Montemiletto, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and its bell tower stand proudly above the town centre, and can even be seen from the neighbouring villages.