Church of St. Benedict (Atessa)

The idea of ​​building a church in Piazzano dates back to January 17, 1939 , when Vito Battilani created a commission for the construction of a rural chapel and opened a funded account at the Piazzano post office. Even more initiative in this matter was shown by his wife Giuseppina, nee Pedroni, who, after the death of her only son Antonio in infancy in 1931, tried for 10 years to build a church in honor of St. Anthony . The first attempts to build a temple were made in 1940-1942.

In 1954, at the request of Vito Battilani, a temporary priest, Giorgio Falzoni, was sent to the faction. Then, in one of the rooms in the house of local residents, a chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was built. In 1960, the priest Luciano Ciccitti, already a year as appointed rector of the parish, created a shelter in Piazzano, in the courtyard of which he built the chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes .

The development of the industrial zone in the region contributed to the rapid construction of a social center and the construction of a church. The first stone in the foundation of the current church, consecrated in honor of St. Benedict , was laid by Vincenzo Fagiolo, Archbishop of Chieti and the Apostolic Administrator Vasto on Saturday November 25, 1972 , on the eve of the feast of Christ the King .

The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by Benedetto Falcucci, Bishop of Atessa and Minister of Health Remo Gaspari . The design of the temple was created by engineer Florindo Carabba and surveyor Sebastiano Catania.

The church was consecrated on December 28, 1975 by Bishop Vincenzo Fagiolo. On the same day, two new bells were consecrated. In 1979, the facade of the building was decorated with mosaics. The church was completely renovated by 1998 , according to the project of the parish priest Claudio Pellegrini and was consecrated on December 28 of that year by Edardo Menicelli, Archbishop of Chieti Vasto.

The feast of St. Benedict is celebrated here annually on the second Sunday of July .

The temple is a Latin cross with a polygonal dome.

The facade of the church is decorated with mosaics depicting Saint Benedict. To the right of St. Benedict is a priest Luciano Ciccitti, who died by the time the mosaic was created. He is depicted with a shovel in his hands, in memory of his work on the improvement of the parish. To the left of Saint Benedict is depicted Saint Alfredo Pinelli.

The interior of the temple is designed in soft colors. The windows are decorated with stained-glass windows . A large wrought iron chandelier and sconce are made according to the designs of the local artist Eleanor Mayolo. She painted the apse and side walls. The apse depicts four evangelists. The altar , the pulpit, paintings of the Way of the Cross and the Easter candlestick are made of stone by the local sculptor Nikola Farin. On the altar is a statue of Christ ascending to heaven, surrounded by six stained glass windows, depicting, from left to right, Saint Empress Helena, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Benedict, Saint Camille De Lellis, Saint Garviel and Saint Roch.

Near the church is a statue of the Madonna, erected in honor of the bringing to Piazzano of the miraculous statue of Our Lady of the Sanctuary of Casalbordino in 1998, and a monument to the priest Luciano Ciccitti, erected in 1980, after his untimely death.

Original in its architectural solution, the high bell tower (27 meters) is decorated with a clock.

• La chiesa di S. Benedetto. Loc. Piazzano, via del Sangro. (ital.)
• Church of St. Benedict (Chiesa di San Vendetto)