This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
The Church of St Thomas: the church of skulls that descends into history
In Priverno, the Church of San Tommaso d'Aquino, dedicated to the town's patron saint, is a place that is reached by descending a flight of steps — as though entering an open-air crypt. Located just outside the medieval walls, this church is not merely a place of worship, but a time machine that tells a story of charity, art and death.
The headquarters of the "Good Death"
The true secret of San Tommaso is both more macabre and infinitely more human. This was the seat of an ancient brotherhood: the Confraternita della Buona Morte — the Confraternity of the Good Death. Their mission? To give a dignified burial to the poor, to those who could not afford one. As a testament to this calling, skulls appear wherever the eye wanders: scattered across the walls, painted on canvases, carved onto crosses. They are not a frightening warning, rather the symbol of a forgotten charity.
A treasure trove of art (and a secret worth knowing)
Among the skulls, the church houses remarkable works of art, including a precious 13th-century fresco of the Madonna del Latte (Nursing Madonna) and an impressive high-relief of the "Gloria di San Tommaso" (Glory of St Thomas). But the urn containing the Saint's skull is not here. To venerate the most important relic of Priverno's patron saint, visitors must make their way to the nearby Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (St Mary of the Assumption).
The church is situated outside the walls, close to Porta Napoletana. For a complete experience, a visit to both the Chiesa di San Tommaso — for its unique atmosphere and the history of the Confraternity — and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, to admire the urn containing the Saint's skull, is highly recommended.
