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Church of St Thomas the Apostle in Gaeta: one of the city's oldest parishes
The Church of St Thomas the Apostle is located in the historic centre of Gaeta, along Via Aragonese. It is documented in a will from 1135 preserved in the Chapter Archive — making it one of the four oldest parishes in the city, along with San Giorgio (St George), San Pietro (St Peter) and Santa Lucia (St Lucy). Today it is also known as the Church of the Most Holy Rosary, a name it has borne since 1809.
The original structure and the construction of Via Aragonese
The original structure has a single nave divided into two bays with Gothic vaults. Over time, the front section (entrance and choir gallery) and the presbytery were added; on the right side of the chapel, there is a bell gable built around the 18th century. When Via Aragonese was constructed, around 1850, the left side ended up below street level so, to prevent water infiltration, a cavity wall was created along the entire length of the wall.
From the Convent of St Dominic to the Most Holy Rosary
In 1809 the parish of St Thomas was suppressed, and the Confraternity of the Rosary — founded in 1607 and until then housed in the Convent of San Domenico (St Dominic) — moved into the church, bringing notable pieces of art with it: the high altar of 1738, the altarpiece depicting the Madonna del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary) donated by Sebastiano Conca (1737–1738), and the balustrade bearing the Confraternity's coats of arms, dated 1726.
