Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and San Leoluca

A modern Catholic temple that hosts a prior history

The building stands on the site previously occupied by the church of Santa Maria della Neve, founded in the 9th century near the medieval village called Terravecchia. The ruins of the baptistery remain from the Byzantine phase in the square in front. Between the late Middle Ages and the early modern age, some funerary monuments were built inside it, such as the tomb of the chaplains (1349), followed by the construction of numerous noble chapels. Among these, it is important to mention one chapel dedicated to Santa Maria delle Grazie from the late fifteenth-century. It was erected by will of the patrician Decio de Soriano (1488), and parts of its furnishings are preserved in the Valentianum museum. Also of interest is the Romano family chapel, dedicated to Santa Maria della Pietà and built in 1526. 

After the damage caused by several successive earthquakes around the middle of the seventeenth century, the construction in site of a new mother church began at the turn of the century. This one had a characteristic Latin cross layout and passing chapels. 

It was built with public money and designed by the architect Francesco Maria Curatoli, but was smaller than the first version of the project, accommodating the requests of the Dominican fathers who had their own convent next to the church. 

After the earthquake of 1783, the dome and part of the facade, which took on its current appearance, were rebuilt. In 1810, the altar with three statues by Antonello Gagini from Santa Maria la Nova was moved to the church. The bronze portal was built in 1975