Chiesa di Sant'Antonino, Sorrento

Church in Sorrento

Church Of Saint Antonino Sorrento
CC BY-SA 2.0 / Berthold Werner

Saint Antonino arrived in Sorrento in the 6th century, seeking refuge from the Lombard invasions of Italy. Legend has it that one day, a whale swallowed a boy near the beach at Sorrento. Saint Antonino miraculously rescued the boy from the whale, and this, along with other miracles, earned him the status of the patron saint of shipwrecked seafarers. To commemorate this miracle, a set of whale bones is displayed at the entrance to the church.

The Church of Saint Antonino was constructed in the 11th century on the site of a 7th-century oratory built to house the bones of Saint Antonino. The grey tuff facade showcases a Romanesque architectural style dating from the 18th century. Inside, the church features three naves divided by twelve Corinthian-style columns salvaged from ancient Greek and Roman buildings.

According to tradition, Saint Antonino expressed a desire not to be buried within or outside the city, so he was laid to rest between the walls. In the crypt, a life-like statue of the saint can be found. One wall is adorned with paintings of ships at sea, while another displays silver talismans left by believers who were saved through Saint Antonino’s grace.

The Chiesa di Sant'Antonino, Sorrento appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Sorrento!

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Visiting Chiesa di Sant'Antonino, Sorrento

Address: Basilica di Sant'Antonino, Piazza Sant'Antonino, Sorrento, Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy
Duration: 20 minutes

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