Visit Ischia

Description

LThe church, next to the cemetery of Panza is located in an isolated and panoramic position, on the inner side of Punta Imperatore. It is reachable along a driveway. A rectangular plan, it has preserved the original structure. The white facade, a rectangular shape, is extremely simple. The frame supports a central slightly pronounced arch support connected to the cross. The portal, with rounded corners, is surrounded by two brackets connected by an protruding arc, where is inserted a panel of majolica tiles depicting the Madonna and Child. Above the arch there is a circular opening cut into the wall, the only source of light. The interior has a single nave covered by a barrel vault with lunettes. The apse is covered by cross vaults with rounded ribs. There are also two half-length statues of St. Gennaro and S. Antonio. Every July 2 the inhabitants of Panza, keep the promise made, according to tradition, to celebrate the Virgin on that day. On the evening of July 2, including the firing of firecrackers and the band marches, starts the procession will cross the country to come to the parish of St. Leonardo, where the statue will be exhibited for the entire month, to return to the original church, the first Sunday in August with a procession that will pass through the other side of the country.

Historical Info

On the basis of architectural elements, the church dates back to the end of the sixteenth century. This hypothesis is supported by the report of the prior of the monastery dating back to 1650, from which emerges that in 1610 the friars of St. Augustine of St. Maria della Scala in Ischia built a small convent adjoining the church of S. Gennaro. The Augustinians, in fact, since the beginning of the sixteenth century owned property in the territory o Panza. The convent was built far from the village in 1649, in the middle of a vineyard owned by the monastery itself which were obtained from two barrels of wine, the convent also had another vineyard which provided half a barrel of wine. It was closed in 1653. In 1711 the revenues of the Chapel of St. Gennaro were devolved to the parish church of Panza. Above, the entrance shows the year 1826, presumably in memory of a major restructuring. D'Ascia (1867) has left this description of the church: “Lovely, romantic, is the church of San Gennaro, located in the middle of a vineyard, which forms the sole benefit of the parish priest of the village. In addition there lovely location is no more to point out. People of Panza wanted to build next the atrium of the Village a Cemetery, whose chapel for divine offices would be this same, but the priest was opposed to it, and the desire of those villagers became disillusioned”. In the church there is an image of the Madonna delle Grazie particularly venerated.