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The Church of St John the Baptist in Castelforte: the Romanesque Building Rebuilt After the War
The Church of San Giovanni Battista is located in the historic centre of Castelforte, at the highest point of the medieval village. The original building dates from the 12th century, and was built in a Romanesque style when the castle was a strategic outpost between the Duchy of Gaeta and the Kingdom of Naples. The church is documented as early as 1136 as the main parish of the fief, dedicated to the Baptist by the will of the local lords.
Destruction and Reconstruction
During the Second World War Castelforte found itself on the Gustav Line, the German defensive line that cut across Italy from Gaeta to Ortona. Allied bombing in 1944 razed the village and the church to the ground. After the war, the building was rebuilt on the original foundations, maintaining the Romanesque layout: single nave, semicircular apse, simple façade in local stone. The bell tower was rebuilt in the 1950s.
What Remains and What Can Be Seen
Few fragments of the medieval elements survive: a portal in limestone recovered from the rubble and some blocks reused in the façade. The interior is bare, with modern furnishings. The church is open for worship, and hosts the services of the parish community. From here flights of steps descend towards the rest of the village, and there is a fine view opens of the Garigliano valley.
