After long works of restoration, the Church of the Addolorata of Sorrento, also known as Church of the Vergine dei Sette Dolori of Sorrento, was finally reopened.
Though lying right in the old town centre – along Via San Cesareo, a stone’s throw from Sedil Dominova of Sorrento – it is one of the “youngest” churches of Sorrento.
Its inauguration, in fact, goes back to 1739.
The Sorrento holy building was constructed according to the Sorrento patricians’ express will. This is a particularity which got the Church of the Addolorata itself to be considered, for a long time, the Sorrento nobles’ church.
Beautiful example of Baroque, the religious building is rich in stuccos.
Its entrance portal is made in grey tuff (typical stone of the Sorrento Coast).
The plan of the Church, instead, is in Greek cross, whilst its floor is paved with 18th-century red bricks.
Inside it, on the high altar, it is possible to admire a statue of the Madonna Addolorata (of the 18th century, too).
In order to furnish it, the nobles decided to apply to one of the most famous painters of the time: Carlo Amalfi.
Carlo Amalfi, himself, in fact, though born in the Sorrento Coast, was particularly appreciated in Naples which – at that time – was the capital of the Reign of the Two Sicilies.
Among his works, in fact, there are also the ones which adorned the Hall of the Great Council of the Law Court inside Castel Capuano, besides a series of frescos in which King Charles of Bourbon riding a horse and the earliest legislators of the Reign are depicted.
Among the many important people who applied to Carlo Amalfi to make their portraits paint, moreover, there are the Sorrento Cardinal Antonio Sersale and Prince Raimondo di Sangro (who was also known as Prince Raimondo di Sansevero).
Thanks to his cooperation with the prince – famous for his alchemy studies – the painter learned to use water-oil colours which were used, among other things, for the paintings of the famous Temple of Pietà in Naples (belonging to the di Sangro family) and in particular for Prince Raimondo’ s portrait.
For the two side chapels of the Church of the Addolorata of Sorrento, instead, the artist made two big paintings. On one of them he depicted the Holy Family, whilst on the other he represented the Holy Trinity in Glory.
