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The Church of St Anthony in Isola del Liri: from medieval monastery to the massacre of 1799
On the site where the Church of Sant'Antonio stands today stood a 14th century Benedictine convent, with a church dedicated to St John the Baptist. When it was passed on to the Franciscans, in the 15th century it took the name of St Francis. With its single-nave ground plan and wooden trussed ceiling, the Franciscan aesthetic is still clearly legible. The gabled façade features an oculus, two single-arched windows with stained glass, and a square-framed portal.
The massacre and reconstruction
On 12 May 1799, Whit Sunday, the Jacobin troops of General Watrin entered Isola del Liri after hours of artillery bombardment. They massacred 537 people who had taken refuge in the church of San Lorenzo (St Lawrence), beside the Grande Waterfall, believing themselves to be safe. St Francis church was also set ablaze. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the church was donated to the Confraternita del Santissimo Crocifisso (Confraternity of the Most Holy Crucifix). In 1812, Gioacchino Manna converted the monastery, putting it to industrial use, but placed within it a statue of St Anthony. From that moment the townspeople began to call it by its present name.
The veiled Crucifix
Today the church houses the statue of the Most Holy Crucifix, covered by a red cloth and unveiled only once a month. On the Thursday before the annual feast day, it is carried in procession to the church of San Lorenzo. On 13 June it is St Anthony that is carried in procession through the streets of the town best known for its waterfalls.
