Visit Ischia

Description

The building, located at the left end of the square, is preceded by a courtyard with stone seats, enclosed by an iron gate. The facade, covered by two pairs of Ionic pilasters, crowned by a pediment is rounded, the center is decorated with a tiled panel depicting St. Leonardo culminating with a curved frame that mimics the gable end of the church. The side by side on the right side a massive clock tower. The interior has three naves, is rich in well-worked stucco on the usual baroque canons, attributed to Caesar Starace. The temple has six altars, three paintings and wooden sculptures of some good value.

Historical info

The origins of the church, dedicated to St. Leonardo, the patron saint of the village of Panza, are ancient, in fact, the church dates back to 1536. It was built and expanded on a sixteenth-century chapel. The existence of a chapel dedicated to St. Leonardo is documented for the first time in 1566. In the sixteenth century, the village of Panza had an independent parish and was under the jurisdiction of St. Vito Forio. The church was a parish between 1601 and 1604, as evidenced by the report of Bishop d'Avalos this year. It was rebuilt at the expense of Forio University in 1737 and completed in 1744.