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The Church of St Teresa in Formia: The Carmelite Convent Between Castellone and Mola
The Church of St Teresa of Ávila stands at the meeting point of the two old villages of Castellone and Mola, which today form the heart of Formia. It was born out of a bequest: in 1735 the wealthy Salerno-born Nicola Pacifico transferred to the Discalced Carmelites a credit of 24,150 ducats to build a church and convent dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory, under the patronage of the Most Holy Trinity and St Teresa. The interior is a single nave with side chapels opening between the pillars.
A History of Change and Transformation
The complex was visited twice by King Charles III, but trouble was never far away: the French siege of Gaeta in 1806, the suppression of religious orders that same year, and the closure of the church. In 1854 the convent became a Bourbon barracks, with a cistern built beneath what is now Piazza Marconi. In 1915 the Avezzano earthquake severely damaged the dome; restoration work was completed in 1929.
What to See Today
The church has now reopened after four years of recent restoration. It houses works by A. Sicurezza, A. Scotto, and L. Timoncini. The former convent, today the municipal offices, still awaits a restoration project. From a painting by Pasquale Mattej we know that the original church had a more slender look, with lateral pinnacles and a curved pediment, today replaced by a simple triangular tympanum.
