The meeting entitled “Church and convent of Santa Maria della Stella: an invisible jewel”, organized by the CulturAttiva association, took place successfully on Saturday 27 April. The initiative, dedicated to one of the most interesting and least known places of worship in the city of Catanzaro, took place inside the church of Santa Maria della Stella, precisely to allow the public to admire its beauty and the charm of its decorations and works of art that it houses. The meeting saw the participation of: Don Maurizio Franconiere, responsible for the cultural heritage of the Catanzaro – Squillace Diocese; Francesca Ferraro, architect; Alessandro Mercurio, architect (specialised in history and conservation of architectural and environmental heritage). Moderated by Angela Rubino, president of the CulturAttiva association.
“The church of Santa Maria della Stella and its convent, founded in the 16th century, have played an important role in the religious and also social context of our city – stated Angela Rubino – they are witnesses of a past that no longer exists, but which should not be forgotten. Pausing to reflect on the historical role, characteristics and historical context of reference of these places helps us to give a correct and exhaustive account of our territory. This is why we strongly wanted this meeting.”
The experts’ reports led the public on an ideal journey to a Catanzaro of other times, now disappeared due to socio-cultural and even structural changes.
Don Maurizio Franconiere has the task of illustrating the characteristics and purposes of the Cultural Heritage Office of the Diocese to clarify that the Office’s main purpose is to offer its collaboration to the diocese and to the ecclesiastical bodies placed under its jurisdiction throughout that which concerns the knowledge, protection and valorisation, liturgical adaptation and increase of ecclesiastical cultural heritage and sacred art, for the purpose of planning and programming activities and interventions on historic buildings and beyond. Furthermore, it maintains contacts and collaborates both with the competent Superintendencies for the territory, according to the procedures established by the Agreement stipulated between the CEI (Italian Episcopal Conference) and the Minister for Cultural Heritage and Activities, and with other bodies of the competent Public Administrations in matters of cultural heritage, according to the procedures established by any other agreements.
With the report by the architect Francesca Ferraro we entered the heart of the conference, starting with an introduction dedicated to the women’s convents of which “Catanzaro boasts a rich history. There are four women’s monasteries that have left an indelible mark on the city. From the foundation of the oldest Monastery of Santa Chiara in the 13th century, to the construction of the Monastery of Santa Maria della Stella, in the 16th century”. The architect Ferraro continued by describing the role played by the latter over the centuries: it “represented an important center of worship and devotion for the citizens of Catanzaro and performed various functions. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was an important religious and cultural center and in the 19th century, it was a place of welcome and education. The decline occurred after the unification of Italy due to the suppression of the religious orders and the abandonment of the buildings. In recent decades, thanks to important restoration and enhancement interventions, the Convento della Stella has undertaken a new path of rebirth and relaunch”. Ferraro also offered ideas for a prospect of further relaunching this important historical institution which could become “a cultural center of reference for the city of Catanzaro”, reconnecting to its illustrious past and exploiting its countless potential, such as “its centrality in the ancient core of the city and its breadth”.
Among the “suggestions” offered by the architect Ferraro there is also the recovery of the art of silk which, in the 19th century represented an important production activity for the convent of the Stella, linked to the great vocation of the city of Catanzaro for this noble art, since its foundation.
The architect Alessandro Mercurio also focused on the history of the monastery and the church of Santa Maria della Stella, focusing mainly on the latter. It has a typical plan of the Franciscan churches of the late sixteenth century, therefore it has a single hall, with side chapels which house very valuable pictorial works. So much so that some of them have lacquer wax stamps as they were identified as works to be transferred to Naples to preserve them when, in the Murat period, the church was closed to worship.
Among the valuable works of art are also the 19th century wooden statues portraying Santa Fara and San Giuseppe and the 18th century mobile organ. The architect Mercurio, in his report, also mentioned the beautiful eighteenth-century wooden pediments in carved, stuccoed and painted wood that complement the marble altars on each side of the church. To these is added “the main altar in gilded and silvered wood with a decorative pediment in stucco and canvas with the image of the Assumption on the back wall”.
In short, a truly splendid place of worship which boasts, together with its monastery, a long and important history, an essential piece for a complete story of the history of a territory, ours, rich in “invisible jewels” all to be rediscovered.
