In the historical core of Colletorto lies a church that once
echoed with prayer and now houses community gatherings: the Church of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Though no longer used for religious services, this former oratory still speaks volumes through its deteriorated frescoes, quietly telling stories of faith and collective memory.
Founded around 1726 by the members of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and the Dead, the church emerged as a separate place of devotion from the parish church. Though Bishop Tria made no mention of it in his 1744 writings, burial records confirm its presence and use from the mid-18th century.
In 1751, the church received a significant addition: a painting of the Holy Family and the Souls in Purgatory by Paolo Gamba, commissioned by Marco Orsogna and Maddalena Cirinelli.
Alongside it, a statue of Saint Michael by Campobasso’s Paolo Saverio Di Zinno was installed, while a smaller Addolorata statue (now lost or relocated) once filled the left niche.
The year 1776 is inscribed beneath a skull on the architrave, marking the Congregation’s official recognition. The same stone bears the names of its commissioner, Donato Cavallaro, and craftsman, Gennaro de Majo from Sant’Elia.Between 1780 and 1786, the church’s walls were painted with frescoes—now heavily faded—depicting the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, Saint Andrew, Saint Dominic, Saint Pellegrino, and other sacred figures. Their patrons and
dates remain faintly visible beneath the peeling pigments.
Even in decay, this space holds weight. It’s not just a
church-turned-meeting-hall—it’s a reminder of how devotion shaped places, art, and identities in Molise’s hidden villages.