Nestled in the Molise hills, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo stands out for its majestic and refined presence, seemingly oversized for the small village of Pettoranello. Built in the early 19th century under the guidance of archpriest Giuseppe Milano and with support from Prince Vincenzo Caracciolo and the local community, it replaced a medieval parish church no longer suitable for worship.
With a volume of 9,000 cubic meters, it is among the largest churches in the Diocese of Isernia. The neoclassical façade features two orders, a rounded pediment above the entrance, a central window framed by pilasters, and the inscription “EX MONTE TEMPLUM” on the tympanum. A side bell tower completes the architectural balance.
Inside, the church reveals a Greek cross plan with a central dome and a symmetrical layout. Six minor altars, stained-glass windows, statues of saints, and nine frescoes narrating the Virgin Mary’s life adorn the space. Noteworthy features include a suspended wooden pulpit, an 18th-century organ, a baptismal font, and a delicate 17th-century Madonna sculpture.
The frescoes, painted in 1804 by late-Baroque artist Raffaele Gioia, depict key Marian episodes: the Birth of Mary, the Marriage to Joseph, the Annunciation, and the Flight into Egypt. The central dome’s pendentives feature prophets David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, each with scrolls quoting biblical prophecies.
The church endured an 1883 fire and the 1984 earthquake, the latter forcing its closure until restoration was completed in 1988. Yet it remains a breathtaking sanctuary of sacred art and faith, also home to a rare depiction of Saint Nicholas with the three children, the protector Saint Emidius, and a chapel devoted to the Dead Christ and the Sorrowful Virgin.