This pretty yellow-and-white church in the heart of Ischia Porto is worth the little detour from the beach if you are interested in Baroque architecture or religious art.
Explore the 18th-century La Chiesa di San Pietro (The Church of Saint Peter) to familiarize yourself with the Roman Catholic history of Ischia. San Pietro’s ceramic dome with green and yellow tiles stands out like a beacon on the hill, drawing believers and non-believers to the church’s serene interior.
The church with a modest clock tower occupies a small, elevated square made out of lava stones, accessible by a small set of steps. It was in this square that Pasquale Battistessa was executed under an altar during the Revolution of 1799. The church was built 18 years before that, under the patronage of Don Antonio Moraldi.
Step inside the oval-shaped interior of the small church to admire its many different features. Gaze up at the dome ceiling, which is painted in celestial blue with a pattern of white decorations in Baroque style.
A wooden statue of St. Peter, a humble fisherman, sits prominently inside a chapel on the left of the entrance. It was carved in 1830 by Gennaro Romannelli and given a silver halo. If you find yourself in Ischia on June 28, come to the church to see the street procession that honors St. Peter by carrying this statue a few blocks around town.
The church is also known as Chiesa Santa Maria delle Grazie, after the 18th-century canvas of the Mother of Grace on the main altar. Admire the various other paintings by the same artist, the Ischian painter Carlo Borrelli Ponticelli.
At night, the stucco façade of the church and its colorful dome are beautifully illuminated, enhancing its Baroque features even more.
Chiesa di San Pietro is located just a little back from the busy Corso Vittoria Colonna. If you are coming from the port, walk towards town, turn left onto Via Roma, which runs uphill and then turns into the Corso Vittoria Colonna. Being so close to San Pietro Beach, you can easily come here and explore for half an hour before or after swimming. Parking spaces are limited, so it is best to come on foot or take a taxi.
