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Church of St Anthony Abbot in Priverno: the ancient Antonine hospital outside the walls
The church of Sant'Antonio Abate is located outside the walls of Priverno. It dates back to the 14th century, and was originally part of a hospital complex run by the Antonines — the order that specialised in welcoming travellers and pilgrims.
A fine portal
Before entering, pause on the threshold. The lintel of the main portal is “signed” by Toballo de Ianni de Piperno, a sculptor active in the 13th and 14th centuries: a vine shoot is held up by two birds, carved with a precision that speaks to the quality of the local stone-carving school. Inside, the layout is simple — a single nave divided into two bays by a pointed arch, with a square apse. The original furnishings are still in place: pulpit, high altar, statue of the patron saint. All the work of Priverno craftsmen.
The frescoes and the apsidal chapel
The frescoes decorating the interior mostly date from the 14th century: Antonine saints, the Virgin and Child, other saints. The register changes in the vaults of the apsidal chapel, with scenes of the Sacraments and a Virgin in Glory, attributed to a follower of Pietro Coleberti, a 15th-century painter from Priverno.
