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St James Church in Gaeta: the secret history of the chapel of the condemned
In the heart of the old town stands the Church of San Giacomo in Gaeta. Many know it also as the Church of the Olive or of the Virgin. Officially dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, this church has had a complex history, bound up with the Arciconfraternita dei Bianchi (Archconfraternity of the Whites) and the spiritual assistance provided to the condemned in the hours before their execution.
Two portals, two eras
The building has a simple, almost austere appearance. The main façade has a late 16th-century stone portal. Yet it is on the right-hand side that the oldest detail can be found. A small 14th-century entrance, carved in local stone, has a Christ Pantocrator on its lintel — a rare sight. The single-nave interior was substantially transformed in 1854.
The chapel of the condemned
The church was the seat of the White Archconfraternity, a brotherhood entrusted with a terrible duty: that of assisting condemned prisoners in their final hours. Their emblem, bearing olive branches, gave the church one of its popular nicknames. It was here, in a small cell whose entrance is now bricked up, that prisoners spent their last night. The inscription "PRO JUSTITIATIS 1758" on the lintel still marks the spot.
The church is consecrated, but not regularly open to the public. It can be visited only on special occasions or during cultural events organised by the city of Gaeta.
