Follow the news of your cityComment on Positano News articlesWednesday, August 17, 2022, starting at 10:00, there will be a day of spirituality "at high altitude", Lectio divina, adoration and confessions with the Bishop Monsignor Francesco Alfano, at the Sanctuary of S. Michele on Monte Faito.In the late afternoon at the end, at 18:00 there will be the Eucharistic Celebration - Santuario S. Michele: Monte Faito.THE DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF SAN MICHELE ARCANGELO SUL FAITO(transcription by Maurizio Cuomo)Church of San Michele al Monte Aureo - Alvino (vintage print by G. Fontana collection).The first chapel, which, as it is easy to guess, was a wooden hut, replaced by a "soda factory" 1 in stone - a material within easy reach on the mountain - goes back to the ninth century.We are informed by the Rev.mo Chapter of the Stabian Cathedral.Deprived of his part of the Faito property, taken from him by Giuseppe Napoleone in 18072, without ever having ceased to claim his rights, with the return of the Bourbons to Naples3 he increasingly insisted on repossessing it.The answer given to the Superintendent of Castellammare di Stabia, on November 2, 1822, in note no.69 of 12 October, opens like this: "Having been built in the 9th century by the Holy Bishop and Protector of this City San Catello, a temple in honor of the Most Glorious Archangel San Michele on the top of Monte Aureo, by some called Gauro, or Gaudo , and from other Monte S. Angelo to tre Pizzi, since then the praised temple remained attached to this Cathedral Church, with all its appurtenances, funds and revenues, that is, with the woods and woods from which said mountain is crowned ».I do not think this is the place for a critical examination regarding the epoch enunciated by the Rev.mo Chapter with explicit affirmation.But I cannot fail to point out that the Chapter would have had every interest in declaring the retroactive possession of the property - to the sixth or seventh centuries, as some writers would like - because the greater antiquity would have been more valid reason to support the request.Starting from the ninth century must be considered a genuine expression of truth that the Canons of the time, out of a priestly duty of conscience, could not alter.The news is supported by other important documentation: an act of the Council of Intendency, called by the higher authorities, in the tax office, to judge on the repeated requests of the Chapter.In fact, the first part of said memorandum, relating to the mountain area, drawn up by the competent body, begins as follows: "The Chapter of Castellammare has, since the ninth century, the mountain called S. Angelo or Aureo or Gauro, with various woods and woods , which surround it ";and II, referring to the church: "The Chapter of the Cathedral of Castellammare di Stabia, has owned since the ninth century the Abbey of the Church of S. Angelo with three lace on Monte Gauro, or Aureo in tenimento di Castellammare, with various woods and woods , which surround it ».The Chapter still insists with the request of 22 July 1826 addressed to the King, signed by the Archdeacon VB4 Francesco Saverio Buonocore and by the Canon Don Salvatore Dattilo: "The Chapter of the Cathedral of Castellammare di Stabia humbly reviews the MV which, having owned since the ninth century the Abbey of the Church of S. Angelo with three lace on Monte Gauro or Aureo in the estate of Castellammare with the Woods, and the Woods from which that mountain is covered ... etc. ".This instance is registered in the protocol of the local Superintendency under no.1297, on 24 July 1826. It is obvious that, since it was a decision to be imposed on the Administration of the Royal Household Assets and on the Royal Treasury, the Council of Intendency had to carry out the most accurate investigations if it took the four years between the aforementioned Chapter request and the conclusions of the investigation.How long did the first brick church stand for?We lack precise data.However, here it should be noted that, apart from the duration of its static nature, the Briefs of the Pontiffs are never lacking, followed by the respective exequatur of the Sovereigns, through which, and with the judgments of Bishops and diplomas of Princes, transcribed in the appropriate Bulletin, it was always recognized the jurisdiction of the Mother Church of Stabia and Castellammare di Stabia over the temple of Faito and the annexed properties.However, to the long documentary gap, starting from the memories that still go under the name of - tradition -, up to the time of Bishop Monsignor Coppola, we can make up for both bearing in mind that the repairs made in 1690 to "enlarge" the temple after the fall of the lightning, and then those of 1694, preserved its static nature (also comforted in this regard by the silence of Milante at least until 1749);both noting that Monsignor Coppola, having made the road passable, and made various "decorations" to the church and the altar, on "28 September 1762 he consecrated it as can be seen from the ... inscription" of which we have news from DE STABIIS, in the biography of that Bishop.We have to get to 1818 to get back into the documented trend of history, referred to in the happy results of my research.The Architect of the Administration Giuseppe Zecchetelli, in charge, with sheet n.625 of 28 February of that year, to report on the requests of the Chapter, having carried out a specific inspection, in his report of 30 December - a report recalled in his subsequent report of 30 March 1820 (with which he forwarded the appeal of the Chapter Stabiano - author the lawyer Don Mercurio Santaniello - directed to SM il Re) - wrote: «There was a chapel under the title of S. Michele Arcangiolo, in the place called Monte Gauro;of which only the walls can be seen having been knocked down by lightning, and there is nothing but a single, almost ruined cordon ».Here it is necessary to entrust ourselves to the administrative acts of the Chapter, relating to the works which from that time on the chapel was the subject.In 1814 by the master masons (today's building contractors) Pasquale and Lorenzo Anaclerio (uncle and nephew) of Agerola, and under the direction of the architect Michele Iennaco, substantial repairs were carried out for 736 ducats and 23 grains, certified with a note of expenses of 6 November;remaining planned other works, for about 175 ducats, to be carried out without delay in May 1815: works that were actually completed and received on 10 August.The two expense reports, drawn up and signed by the Director of the works, are countersigned by the Canon Cantore Don Giacinto d'Avitaja, Deputy by the Chapter to supervise the Faito church.Who, moreover, in the absence of financial resources of the Capitular Fund, to meet the commitments made with the master builders, contracted "in his own name" two debts: for "200 ducats" at "seven percent" interest with Don Vincenzo Donnarumma of Pimonte, and for another 200 "at eight per cent" with the Captain Don Guglielmo Arazas (or Mazas) of Naples.The "rebuilding of the church dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, on Monte Gauro" was completed several years later, again under the direction of the architect Iennaco, by the master mason Felice Limauro di Pimonte.And these were works for which the Chapter had to overcome difficulties if in its reply of November 2, 1822, cited above, relying on the "goodness and religion" of the Subintendent in office, he asked him to "interpose" his "valid offices" to that he was paid by the Administration of the Assets of the Royal House the promised indemnity of 400 ducats in silencing the confiscation of the woods and forests of Faito, "maximum at a time when this College is disbursing large sums for the reconstruction of the praised Sagro Temple of San Michele, unfortunately destroyed by a fire, in order to return it to the public cult, and to the veneration of this, and of the other, even distant populations, who usually go there in crowds to venerate that renowned, and Augustus Sanctuary ».For these works the master builder Limauro was paid ducats 1157.97 in advance, and in the balance ducats 2750.64 and 59/64.In the corresponding "certificate" drawn up and signed by the architect on September 5, 1825, on a stamped sheet of 12 grains, endorsed by the signature of the Chapter Deputies: Canon Cantore Don Giacinto d'Avitaja and Canon Don Giovanni Iovino, and registered with the competent Office of Castellammare di Stabia on 9 September, the architect left us some information of particular importance for the story we are dealing with.1) "In the internal arrangement of the walls that close the aforementioned Church, the pillars of the Ionic order coroso to the S ° of sixteen with the corresponding frieze and cornice have been pushed back, and between their intervals a simple division of paintings has been reported with harnesses of bands, and counter-bands.A proportionate remenato has been combined around the niche, which remains behind the main altar.In addition to the right and left of the said church there are two other niches with similar frames with table and beech plate.What simple ornaments have been described are covered with stucco… ».2) Twelve veined yellow marble medallions were attached to the pillars "to deposit the relics of the Saints, when the consecration of the same takes place, each one with a diameter of palms one with the hollow of the respective sepulcher in the center made of tin plates, and a proportionate colored cover plaque ».3) "The beech balustrade on a step of the same timber, and two confessionals", also in beech, "for two listeners".Even more interesting are the news that the architect gives us, to justify the expenses, on the marble statue of the Archangel, revolutionizing what has been handed down to us so far.4) "The Statue of St. Michael, since in time, which was exhibited in the Bishopric, suffered damage in the right arm, and in other parts of the head, and of the robe, so the statuary Don Raffaele De Martines had to be accommodated again, and it took the effort of ten continuous days on the Mount, which effort was agreed upon for the limited price of 36 ducats. niche a marble base supported by two trunks left of the old columns5, behind the fire, which ruined the ancient Church in 1818, and adorned the front of the ancient destroyed niche where the same statue was, and for this base he used the labor of eight days, which came with the price of eight ducats ».The same statuary De Martines and marmoraro di Maio provided "in transporting the said statue to the mountain, and other pieces of marble….expenditure of ducats 15.30 ».The hints reported here by the two architects do not admit disputes.Only it should be noted that Zecchetelli attributes the ruins sighted in his inspection of 30 December 1818 to the fall of lightning;while it is right to accept what, fully agreeing, his colleague Iennaco and the Canons of the Cathedral say: that the damage caused and seen by Zecchetelli comes from the fire that occurred in the same year 1818. The lightning of 1689 broke through, yes, "the lamia" of the church, but left the marble statue of the Archangel untouched, which was not damaged on the mountain.If this was brought down on that occasion or later, and exhibited in the "Vescovado", where it suffered the damage noticed by the architect Iennaco, it was certainly a good precautionary measure to secure it, as there was no suitable custody on the mountain.Another conclusion, which is easy to come to, is that the statue was made to make the journey between the plain and the mountain several times.Landed in Stabia, brought by San Catello on his return from Rome (according to tradition), it was transferred to the summit and placed in the first masonry temple;brought down, it returned to the mountain in 1825, as we have just learned, by the artisans De Martines and di Maio;and finally, having come back down, it had its definitive accommodation in the Cathedral starting from 20 December 1862, according to what Monsignor Di Capua left us on page.96 of SAN CATELLO AND ITS TIMES of him.the ancient statue of St. Michael (photo Maurizio Cuomo)Therefore, since there was no cause of lightning or fire, it is legitimate to admit: a) that the reason for the last removal of the statue was to save it both from the action of freezing and thawing, and from the nefarious work of banditry that at that time infested the mountain;b) that the statue must not have undergone any damage other than those mentioned by the architect Iennaco, except for the stains of fire, in the fire of 1818, noticed by Monsignor Di Capua6;and consequently no other patches were needed other than those made, albeit with little art, by the statuary De Martines.We proceed in historical succession.On a marble plaque, in memory, the following epigraph was read, which is reported here translated from Latin:THIS TEMPLE REBUILT AT THE EXPENSES OF THE REV.MO CHAPTER THE BISHOP OF STABIESE ANGELO MARIA SCANZANO ON 29 JULY 1843 SOLEMNLY CONSECRATED THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF DEDICATION TO THE DAY 1 AUGUSTWithout prejudice to the date of 29 July 1843 which commemorates the consecration of the rebuilt temple, we note that the date - 1 August - for the liturgical feast of the dedication had already been decreed by the Bishop Don Giuseppe Coppola when the road was restored on 28 September 1762, "After various decorations made in the church, and in the altar of the saint," he consecrated it.The epigraph reported in DE STABIIS itself is documented.Volume II, p.161. Then with the consecration of 1843 the date for liturgically celebrating the annual anniversary was confirmed.The sentence "This temple - rebuilt at the expense of the Reverend Chapter" was given an erroneous interpretation considering that the temple consecrated by Monsignor Scanzano was rebuilt in 1843. In this regard we have a document that admits no doubts.It is a plan on a «Neapolitan scale of 40 palms», designed and signed on the front by the architect Michele Iennaco, who on the reverse bears, with the date 14 October 1842, the counter-signature of Andrea Pisacane, Deputy Capitular.Manuscript by the architect, in the margin of the plan, we read: "Plan of the Church existing on Mount Gauro in honor of the Archangel San Michele, and of the other buildings attached to it, under the dominion of the Ill.mo, and Rev.mo Chapter of the Cathedral of this city of Castellammare di Stabia ».The manuscript continues: «The outlined Church, and the other buildings connected to it, remain planted at the top of a rock, which can be observed almost on a high peak on the referred mountain, of the limited space, which can be seen in the figure.Therefore most of the factories planted on this rock have suffered a lot towards the sides, which are opposed to the Levant, and to the South due to the neglected annual maintenance according to the nature of the place ».The existing one - and the repeated one - remain planted - they explicitly say that in mid-October 1842 the church, on the summit at an altitude of 14437, was completely static, only in need of retouching, which the Chapter promptly provided for, at its own expense, so that everything could be ready for the rite officiated by Bishop Scanzano on July 29, 1843, and for the feast which, with the usual crowd of people, took place on the following 31 and 1 August, as can be seen from the archived chronicles of that year.This leads us to believe that the church consecrated by Mons. Scanzano was the one "rebuilt" in anticipation of the consecration, reported in the petition dated 2 November 1822 of the Cathedral Chapter to the Superintendent of Castellammare, and in the certificate drawn up on 5 September 1825 by the architect Iennaco, with the analytical description of the works carried out (See documents on the following pages).And we can add that the architect's suggestion on the need for "annual maintenance" was somehow kept in mind by the Rev.mo Chapter, since among the administrative acts there are recorded expenses for works done in 1848 by the master mason Pierpaolo Rispoli for ducats 84.21 and in 1859 for ducats 77.22.Let's move on to times closer to us, when from 1860 to 1865 the banditry, unfortunately, also spread throughout the south of Italy, led by the gang leader Crocco.From the - Illustrated guide of Castellammare di Stabia - by Michele Salvati we learn that due to the banditry that infested our mountains, the church was abandoned and «became a heap of rubble.But Count Giusso, owner of the mountain, with noble thought ordered its rebuilding in 1899 based on a design by the engineer Francesco Eligio Vanacore ».Let's deepen the news.With a letter dated 7 September 1882, the Bishop Mons. Sarnelli informed the Cathedral Chapter that Count Giusso, addressing him personally, as Diocesan Ordinary, in order to reach a peaceful agreement8, informed him that he had claimed "from the Government the two sections that go by the name of Acqua Santa and Castellone »having« shown that they were part of the ancient fiefdom of the Ravaschieri di Vico »purchased by him;and of having "bought from the State Property for three thousand lire that section where the ruined church of San Michele is located".The Count offered "a fee" to "serve for the construction of the Cathedral and rebuild the church of San Michele at his own expense."It is to be understood that the agreement has been reached, because the Count actually had Eng.Francesco Eligio Vanacore the project of the Temple which, however, was not realized.The plan, on a scale of 1/100, which bears the date of July 30, 1899, remains only as a reminder of the "noble thought" of Count Giusso.Church of S. Michele on Monte Faito.Prog.Engineer VanacoreTo keep alive the pious tradition and devotion to the Archangel San Michele, San Catello and Sant'Antonino, thought the Salesian Bishop Mons. Emanuel, who sat on the Stabian throne from 1936 to 1952. The very active Shepherd, at an altitude of 1280, and therefore at the foot of the Molare, he wanted to plant the temple that now exists, of which, by devout offer, the engineer Guglielmo Vanacore was the designer and construction manager.He was joined, in a religious contest of homage, by the building contractor Mr. Luigi Vanacore and the Comm. Rag.Amilcare Sciarretta.The latter, finding himself at the head of the local section of the Alpine Club, organized an ascent to the mountain of those who wanted to bring a brick for the more rapid development of the factory;and later, with the contribution of his office colleagues, he was able to offer, on behalf of the Bank of Italy staff, the marble statue, a faithful reproduction of the one that tradition attributes to the time of San Catello, enthroned in the brand new temple after Pope Pius XII blessed it with His Hand.The work on the sacred building began, economically, towards the end of 1937, with the forecast that fifty thousand lire would have been spent, without the staircase in the bell tower and the bell, without the marble altar and without the cross on the external façade.The measures of the temple are: length m.21, width m.8.50, height m.14, the bell tower reaches m.18.60.In a certificate dated 6 April 1940 the engineer Vanacore had the satisfaction of writing that the construction of the rough, for a height of m.2.60 from the ground floor, a third had already been carried out.The occurrence of the hostilities of the 2nd World War caused the work to be suspended, which were resumed and completed, at the end of the war, with the intervention and funds available to the Civil Engineers of Naples, as the interruption was judged to have suffered damages. of war.Bishop Emanuel, who had laid the first stone on October 24, 1937, was able to bless the temple, desired by his tenacious action, on the morning of September 13, 1950, in the presence of the Archbishop of Sorrento and the Bishop of Campagna.His Successor, Monsignor Agostino D'Arco, provided for further works to protect the factory from mountain weather, and completed the trio of Saints with the statues of San Catello and Sant'Antonino, offered respectively with the Stabiesi's offering, collected by the Mr. Catello Greco, and by Mons. Palatucci, Bishop of Campagna: statues that Bishop D'Arco himself blessed on 8 May 1955, in Piazza Cantiere, during the annual procession on the liturgical feast of the patronage of our patron saint.Sirenum Land Communication Srls Copyright © 2005-2022 - Associated Newspaper Anso Headed registered at the Court of Salerno.Registration N ° 6 of 25/01/2006 Registration with the ROC: 19336 Responsible director: Michele Cinque VAT number: 05464860658 e-mail: info@positanonews.it