In the historic center of Campobasso stands the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, considered one of the most representative symbols of Baroque art in Molise. Built in 1572 on the remains of an older church, the structure has gone through various phases of expansion and restoration, reflecting a stratification of styles and interventions.
On the outside, the church has a sober plastered facade, a portal with a curvilinear pediment and a central rose window.. The interior, with a single nave, holds an extraordinary artistic heritage, enriched over the centuries by valuable works.
The central element is the polychrome marble high altar, made in the Rococo style in 1748. On the side walls are four carved and gilded wooden altars, dedicated to St. Benedict, the Sacred Heart, St. Anthony Abbot, and the Crucifix. These altars hold paintings and sculptures including works by Francesco Guarini da Solofra, an artist of the 17th-century Neapolitan school. Famous works by him are the canvas of St. Benedict Exorcising a Demoniac (1643), the Pietà, the Baptist, St. Gregory Pope, St. Anthony and St. Francis, all harmoniously integrated into the rich wooden decoration.
Another notable artistic presence is that of Michele Scaroina, a painter from Campobasso who created the frescoes along the upper part of the walls and the original ceiling paintings, later replaced by the scene of Lucifer’s Expulsion from Paradise by Amedeo Trivisonno.. Among the older canvases is The Temptation of St. Anthony, from the late 16th century, with Flemish influences.
The sculptures are also notable: the wooden statue of St. Anthony Abbot, dating from the 16th century, and that of St. Francis, by the famous Campobasso sculptor Paolo Saverio Di Zinno.. On the left side of the church is a wooden organ from 1696, decorated with gilded carvings and precious finishes, a true Baroque masterpiece.
Originally equipped with a dome, replaced for structural reasons by a flat vault frescoed by Leo Paglione, the church also underwent reconstruction of the bell tower in 1864 following an earthquake.
Today, the Church of St. Anthony Abbot is not only an important place of worship but also an artistic and cultural landmark that bears witness to Molise’s Baroque heritage.