Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta

An important place of worship for the community of Andretta is the Mother Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Saint Mary of the Assumption), located in Via Padre Agostino Arace.

Its present structure differs from the original single-nave structure dating back to the 16th century. In fact, the already precarious conditions of the religious building were further damaged by the earthquakes that occurred in the area. Thanks to the efforts of many people from Andretta and the valuable contribution of Father Agostino Arace (1718-1764), the Church dedicated to Saint Mary of the Assumption was rebuilt and enlarged with two new aisles, giving it a Baroque style and a different architectural structure. 

Inside this religious building, which has been a customary burial place for many years, there are four altars (the largest of which is made of polychrome marble and is crowned by a 19th-century wooden statue of the Virgin), seven chapels and an elegant 18th-century wooden choir, which is illuminated by the two large windows in the semicircular apse.

The façade of the Church dominates from above the terrace on which it stands, with its beautiful stone portal, arched gable and two square windows, and a cuspidal dome overlooks the imposing bell tower, which was probably a defensive tower in feudal times.  A combination of harmonious elements that make the Church of Santa Maria Assunta dominate the small town of Upper Irpinia from above.