Chiesa di Sant'Andrea Apostolo di Sirignano

Churches and Religious complex

The Church of Sant’Andrea Apostolo (Saint Andrew the Apostle) in Sirignano is located on Piazza Principessa Rosa, near the Caravita Palace.

The first historical documents certifying the existence of a church dedicated to the patron saint of the Sirignano community date back to the 14th century, although they do not refer to the current place of worship, but to a building, presumably smaller in size, led by the then abbot Goffredo and located in the area where the current parish hall stands. In the early decades of the 17th century, the progressive growth of the population required a larger venue that could accommodate the entire community of the faithful: the current Church of Sant'Andrea Apostolo was built in response to this need.

Today, the religious building has a simple façade and a doorway in worked stone. Beside the Church, at the edge of the square in front, stands a three-level bell tower with a clock. Over the centuries, this sacred place so dear to the locals has been enhanced through a series of interventions and embellishments. It was not just the parish community who contributed to this work, but also the families who have alternated in leading Sirignano, including the Caracciolo della Gioiosa family, to which we owe the main altar in polychrome marbles and a painting depicting the apparition of Our Lady of Graces on a throne of clouds to the Saints Joseph, Andrew the Apostle, and Lucy. On the other hand, the entire local population contributed for other works to be housed in the building, including the 18th-century side altars, the one dedicated to the Our Lady of Pompeii, the altar of Saint Andrew constructed between 1925 and 1930, and the silver reliquary depicting two miniature trunks that form the Cross of Saint Andrew.

The numerous statues of saints and the prestigious cycle of frescoes depicting the Four Evangelists, the Allegories of Faith and Religion, and the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew help affirm the value of the artistic heritage of the Mother Church of Sirignano.