The Parish

This church was built in the late 1700s over another pre-existing Chapel of the 11th century dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, whose symbol still appears on the ceiling and on the main altar. The newly built church was dedicated to Our Lady of Grace and called “Chiesa Nuova” (which means “New Church”), giving this name to the entire neighbourhood. Because of its oval shape, similar to the Pantheon in Rome, as well as its ceramic floor and coloured wall decorations, it represents one of the most important monuments realized in the Amalfi coast during the Baroque period. Beautiful paintings can be admired over the four altars, dedicated to St. Joseph, St. Alfonsus Liguori, St. Michael and St. Peter.

The painting in the main altar represents the Blessed Sacrament adored by Our Lady of Grace and St. John the Evangelist. Another painting represents the Annunciation. Other statues such as Our Lady of Grace, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Anne with the child Mary, St. Anthony, Our Lady of Sorrows and the Scourging of Christ find place in this Church. In the sacristy there is a roman ash urn with the following inscription: ACTI CAESARIS VIX(IT) ANN(OS) XXXVI (“To Atte of Cesare, he lived 36 years”). Over the main entrance is the choir loft with an organ of the 18th century.

The most important feast of this Church is Our Lady of Grace, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of July. Holy Mass is celebrated in the church on Sundays and weekdays.

This church is located in the “Fornillo” neighbourhood. It was built in 16th or 17th century and was restored in late 1700s, as is written in the commemorative stone: “Templum hoc divae Margaritae Virginis et Martyris huius Regiae Terrae Positano ex familia Porcelli diu dirutum terris ex devotione civium universitatis casalis Furni inferioris cohoperante D. Sacerdoti Nicolae Romito quondam Petri eorum sumptibus a fundamentis” (This temple dedicated to St. Margaret Virgin and Martyr in this royal land of Positano, for a long time in ruins, was rebuilt by the Porcelli family and the inhabitants of the southern Fornillo neighbourhood, with the contribution of the Reverend Priest Nicola Romito son of Pietro).

Over the main marble altar is a Statue of St. Margaret. The other two altars are dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, portrayed with the souls of purgatory, and St. Michael the Archangel. Over the entrance is the choir loft with an ancient organ. One also finds other statues of St. Margaret, Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Aloysius Gonzaga. The ceramic floor is also quite valuable.

The Feast of St. Margaret is solemnly celebrated in this church on July 20th.

This Church is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alessandria.

It was built by merchant sailors who traded with Alessandria, Egypt, the saint´s native place. In the 1930s the dilapidated structure was torn down to build a new road, but was then rebuilt in neo-gothic style by the inhabitants of the neighbourhood.

The beautiful coloured marble altar is the original of the former Church. Next to the altar one finds the statues of St. Catherine and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Another smaller altar is dedicated to St. Anne, portrayed with the child Mary. St. Catherine’s feast is celebrated on November 25th.

The main characteristic of the architecture of this Church and of the whole “Liparlati” neighbourhood is the bell tower with its coloured dome. It may have been founded by sailors trading with Spain, where the Apostle James is venerated. This was the first Church in Positano to be restored in the 18th century.

The painting on the main altar portrays the Virgin Mary with St. James and St. Anthony. The second altar has a painting of the Last Supper. In front of this altar, there are the statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus adored by all the continents of the earth, and of St. James.

The floor was given in 1707 by a group of sailors who survived a shipwreck thanks to a miracle obtained by St. James’ intercession, as can be read in latin: “Insignis miraculi B. Jacobo intercedente Johannes Cimini ejusque nautae naufragio periculo liberati pavimentum hoc in memoriam posuere XII Kalendas majas anno aere christianae MDCCVII”. On the center of the floor are the symbols of pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela in Spain: the shell and the cloak. The feast of St. James the Apostle is solemnly celebrated on July 25th with a procession throughout the streets of the neighbourhood.

La Chiesa di Maria SS. del Rosario è situata nel centro del paese, in Piazza dei Mulini. Antico monastero domenicano, fondato nel 1614, fu soppresso nel 1652 da papa Clemente X per il limitato numero di frati e per lo stato in cui versava. Così la chiesa, spogliata di gran parte dei suoi tesori, fu trasformata in tribunale. In seguito, restituita al culto, divenne sede della congrega del SS. Rosario. In seguito al crollo della Sacrestia dovuto al terremoto del 1980, la Chiesa è stata ancora una volta interdetta al culto e finalmente riaperta nel 2006, e da quell’anno vi si celebra la Messa feriale e domenicale.

E’ composta da un’unica navata rettangolare con volta a botte. Notevole è il portale d’ingresso in tufo, sulla cui sommità sorge la finestra in vetri policromi di moderna fattura raffigurante”l´Annunciazione”. Custodisce alcune lapidi sepolcrali e, sul lato sinistro dell’ingresso, un sarcofago romano con la rappresentazione del mito di Bacco. Interessante l’acquasantiera in marmo.

Si possono ammirare quattro quadri che rappresentano rispettivamente l’Annunciazione con i Santi Domenico e Giovanni Battista, la Madonna delle Grazie, l’Assunta e la Madonna del Rosario tra i Santi Chiara e Domenico, oltre alla caratteristica Via Crucis, realizzata su 14 lastre intere di ceramica. Sul lato destro si trova l’organo del ´700, recentemente restaurato.

Al centro dell´altare, in una nicchia, è custodita la statua ottocentesca della Madonna del Rosario, che si festeggia solennemente il 7 Ottobre.

St. John´s Chapel was probably built by a Knight of Malta´s Order, whose Patron Saint is St. John the Baptist. This Chapel is characterized by the coloured ceramic floor and by a roman ash urn representing two men carrying a dead man (identified with Christ).
The painting over the altar represents Christ´s Baptism. The frontal of the altar portrays St. Anthony in the middle, probably taken away from the Church of St. Anthony, which was once on the way leading the main beach.
In this Church are celebrated the triduum, the feast of St. John´s Nativity on June 24th, and his martyrdom on August 29th.

This church was restored in 1797, as is recorded on the floor, and again in 1897. The wall decorations are similar to the ones in the main Church and in St. Margaret’s Church. Over the altar, a painting portrays the Immaculate Virgin with St. Matthew the Evangelist.