Churches and monuments · Sorrento
Church of the Servi di Maria in Sorrento
An 18th-century Baroque church that keeps the Dead Christ carried in procession on Good Friday and two rare 15th-century nativity figures.
2 min read
The Church of the Servi di Maria (Servants of Mary) is a small Baroque church in Sorrento's old town, closely bound up with the traditions of Holy Week. It lacks the fame of the Cathedral or the Basilica of Saint Antoninus, yet it holds a special place in local hearts: it keeps the statue of the Dead Christ that black-hooded brothers carry in procession through the town on the evening of Good Friday.
History
The church was founded at the beginning of the 18th century, in 1717, and completed over the course of that century in full Baroque style. It is the seat of the Congregation of the Servants of Mary, a long-established lay confraternity. Since the second half of the 19th century it has also housed the ancient Archconfraternity of Death (Arciconfraternita della Morte), which has been united with the Congregation ever since: members of the two brotherhoods are told apart by their robes, white with a blue cord for the Servants of Mary and entirely black for the Archconfraternity of Death.
What to see
- The Dead Christ: a wooden statue by an unknown artist showing Jesus taken down from the cross, the centrepiece of the Good Friday procession.
- Our Lady and Saint Joseph: two small wooden sculptures that are rare examples of 15th-century nativity figures, precious evidence of Campania's long tradition of crib-making.
- A view of the old seat: the church holds a painting showing the Sedile di Porta as it originally looked, before its 19th-century alterations.
The Dead Christ procession
On the evening of Good Friday the streets of the centre fall silent. The procession winds slowly past: the brothers, in black robes with hoods covering their faces, shoulder the statue of the Dead Christ and the symbols of the Passion, accompanied by the chant of the Miserere and funeral marches. It is one of the most moving moments of the year in Sorrento; find out more on our page about the Holy Week processions.
Visiting tips
The church is mainly open for services and confraternity events. Holy Week is the best time to grasp its meaning, but at other times of year it is still worth including in our faith itinerary through Sorrento's churches.
