Description of the attraction
The Church of Santa Anna, located on the square of the same name of Caserta, is especially revered among the people, since Saint Anna, along with Saint Sebastian, is the patroness of the city. The church was built in the 17th century on the site of the small ancient temple of Madonna di Loreto. During the Second World War, the building was seriously damaged by air strikes, and was subsequently completely restored. Only the foundation and the façade have survived from the original structure, while the interior has been redesigned in a modern style. Among the works of art that adorn the church, you can see a statue of St. Anne from the 18th century, donated to the temple by believers and especially revered on the day of the saint's memory, a bust of Christ in a crown of thorns, a statue of St. Antonio Abate, a sculpture of Madonna di Loreto and several bronze tablets on the facade portal depicting scenes from the life of Madonna and Jesus. Every July in Caserta there is a celebration of the worship of the saints, when a solemn procession walks through the streets of the city to the church of Santa Anna.
The square on which the church stands - Piazza Santa Anna - serves as a kind of border between the historical center of Caserta and the southern part of the city. There is also the building of the former city hospital, which was abandoned for many years, and today is turned into the regional residence of the Italian Ministry of Finance. Opposite the church there is a monument to the Virgin Mary made of stone and marble, erected in 1956.
