Church of the Assumption of Mortora
Sito dell'Assessorato alla Cultura, Turismo e Spettacolo del Comune di Piano di Sorrento
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In the square of the Mortora district, the Baroque architecture of the Parish Church of the Assumption stands in all its beauty. It was built on the Piscopo estate in the second half of the 16th century (1580) following a decree by Archbishop Giulio Pavesi (1566). In reality, the church was constructed to replace another one from the 12th century, located nearby, which was destroyed by the Saracens. The older church was called Santa Maria di Galatea because it had been built on a pagan temple dedicated to the cult of Galatea.
In 1593, Archbishop Donzelli granted the rectory of the church to the parish priest Bartolomeo Piscopo, with the obligation to pay homage (Majo) to the Bishop. This parish was granted numerous privileges precisely because it derived from the ancient church of Santa Maria Galatea. During the 16th century, the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament was established.
In 1663, the confraternity was transformed into the Confraternity of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to tradition, the church became a parish due to the miraculous discovery of the ancient statuette of the Madonna of Galatea by a local woman. In 1657, the main altar was rebuilt in polychrome marble, and the following year, a marble niche was placed above it to house the image of the Madonna. An interesting feature of the church is the balustrade, carved in 1767 by Baldassarre from Lucca. Additionally, there is a hanging pulpit with a canopy dating back to 1745.
The church has a Latin cross layout, and the interior is divided into three naves, with pillars decorated with crosses and a coffered ceiling created in 1672 by the artist Felice Marrone from Castellammare. The ceiling features splendid decorations and three paintings from the same period by the painter Andrea Malinconico, depicting the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the Assumption (which includes a portrait of the benefactor Renato De Masso, who funded all the renovation works of the church, including the placement of marbles and paintings, until 1677).
In the right nave, there is a painting by the same artist depicting the Deposition, while the sacristy houses a painting of the Assumption of the Virgin. Also in the sacristy, a 16th-century marble bas-relief is preserved. At the entrance of the sacristy, there is an interesting portal and a sculpture of Charles III of Bourbon. In the left nave, there is a painting from the school of Solimena depicting the Madonna and Child with Saints and the Souls in Purgatory. Also of interest is an 18th-century altar and the church’s majolica-tiled floor. Other notable works include a 17th-century Nativity of the Virgin and two 16th-century paintings: one of the Madonna of the Rosary by the painter Ambrogio Poo, and another depicting the Meeting of Saint Peter and Saint Paul by the painter Auriemma, dating back to 1585. Two holy water stoups at the entrance, dating from 1674, are particularly interesting—they are supported by an eagle figure and topped with a crest featuring the coat of arms of the Massa family, who restored them. There is also a baptismal font made of polychrome marble from 1762, along with the choir loft and an ornately carved wooden organ from the mid-19th century.
The façade of the church is Baroque, with white and yellow stucco, and features the coats of arms of several important ecclesiastical figures, including Pope Leo XIII, Cardinal Borromeo, and the Archbishop of Sorrento, Leopoldo Ruggiero. At the top of the façade, there is an icon of the Virgin of the Assumption, dating back to 1888, with the inscription "Assumpta est Maria." The bell tower was built in the 18th century, and the church’s interior underwent a significant renovation in 1744, while the marble flooring was installed in 1844.
However, the most intriguing aspect of this church, which has long fascinated scholars, remains its ancient name. A remarkable overlap of pagan and Christian cults seems to have characterized the old church of Santa Maria di Galatea, where a Madonna as protector of the sea replaced the worship of the marine goddess "Galatea."
Galatea is a figure from Greek mythology, one of the fifty sea nymphs, the Nereids, daughters of Nereus and Doris, who lived at the bottom of the ocean with their father and had the duty of assisting sailors. Interestingly, in Roman mythology, Galatea was also the name of a beautiful statue brought to life by Venus, the goddess of love, in response to the prayers of the sculptor.
In the Mortora area, there was also another chapel, dedicated to Saint Mark, dating back to the 15th century and owned by the Cangiano family. When this chapel was destroyed, its bell was melted down and used to cast the great bell of the Parish Church of Santa Maria di Galatea.
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