Description of the attraction
The Church of Sant Erasmo is one of the oldest religious buildings in Porto Ercole. She stands on a small plateau within the city walls. This church was probably built in the 13th century on the site of a small chapel built in the 7th century. The facade of the current building is in a very simple Tuscan style with a portal topped with a triangular pediment and a small rosette window in the center. On the right rises a bell tower, built in 1915: earlier there was a Spanish bell tower on this site, but it probably collapsed as a result of a lightning strike, from which the church itself was seriously damaged. On the left, a side nave is visible, which supports an underground tunnel about 30 meters long. You should also pay attention to the old chapel of Santa Croce, now secularized - it stands on the site of the hospital Santa Maria Auzilatrice, in which, according to documents, the great Caravaggio died.
The interior of the Church of Sant Erasmo is immersed in a mysterious twilight. The temple is divided into two naves - the main and the side, smaller in size and facing the sea. The ceiling of the main nave is covered with 17th century rafters. On the right is a chapel with a beautiful font of colored marble. Behind the chapel you can see the niches in which the statues of the saints once stood, now kept in the sacristy. There is a presbytery in the back of the church - it is slightly raised above the floor with the help of steps. It is in the presbytery that the altar is located - one of the main works of art of this temple. It is made of colored marble in the Renaissance style, and at its foot are marble plaques with inlays and paintings - under them lie the Spanish governors general of Porto Ercole. The choir is located behind the altar, to which two side doors lead. The choir vaults are painted with frescoes depicting the four evangelists and saints Erasmus and Roch.
The right nave of the church consists of several chapels with cross vaults: the first chapel is dedicated to Saint Erasmus, the patron saint of Porto Ercole. It is richly decorated with frescoes and a wonderful altar with a papier-mâché bust of the saint.
