CHIESA SAN MICHELE ARCANGELO

Information Sheet

📍 Location: Agerola
⛪ Dedicated to: St Michael the Archangel
📅 Period: 17th century
🎨 Style: Traditional Agerolan religious architecture
⭐ Not to be missed: Historic façade, high altar, painting of St Michael the Archangel

Description

The church, dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, was built in 1680 by Antonio de Acampora, who reserved a burial place for himself and his family in the vault he had erected at his own expense within the floor, as evidenced by the marble plaque affixed to the vault’s cover. Featuring a small bell tower and a single nave, the interior has arches on the side walls resting on small masonry columns. Above the altar hangs a polychrome oil painting depicting St Michael in the act of piercing the devil. The work by the 17th-century painter Andrea Malinconico features very vivid colours.

The structure of this small building is typical of the ancient churches of Agerola; indeed, one can observe the vertical alignment of the external walls with a right-angled trapezoidal cross-section, the small window and the arch above the portal – which must originally have protruded much further – as well as some reinforcing buttresses.

The façade takes on a ‘simply monumental’ appearance: a stone staircase with wide steps raises it above its immediate surroundings.