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The Church of Santa Maria in Pensulis in Gaeta: the oldest church in the city of a hundred churches
Hidden among the maze of alleyways in Gaeta's historic centre is the church of Santa Maria in Pensulis, today known as the former church of Santa Lucia. It is the oldest in the city: its origins date back to the 7th century, when a first structure was built with a different orientation from the present one. Of the original layout, the frescoed small apse and the twin-arched windows walled into the façade survive, still visible if you know where to look.
From the document of 976 to the royal chapel
The earliest written record appears in a parchment of 976. The name in Pensulis derives from the hanging gardens that once surrounded this area. Between 1387 and 1399, the church served as a palatine chapel for King Ladislaus of Naples (Ladislaus of Durazzo) and his court, which resided in the neighbouring palace. In the 13th century, the ribbed vaulting was added, in the 17th century the Baroque decorations, subsequently removed during the 1930 restoration, which reinstated the church’s Romanesque appearance.
The works of Giovanni da Gaeta
In 1456, the parish priest Giuliano D'Orca commissioned a triptych depicting the Coronation of the Virgin from local painter Giovanni da Gaeta. The work is now on display in the Diocesan Museum alongside a painted Crucifix by the same artist. Deconsecrated in 1972, the church today serves as a municipal auditorium, hosting concerts, exhibitions, and the Gaeta Jazz Festival.
