Church of the Holy Spirit, Ischia Ponte

Next to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, on the other side of the street, there is another church (Chiesa dello Spirito Santo), whose facade, in contrast to the cathedral, looks very simple. It is decorated only by a "trefoil" window (finestra trilobata), typical of Italian Baroque, on the pediment and an openwork metal lantern above the portal faced with gray stone, which appeared as a result of the 19th‑century reconstruction.

If you look at the church from the upper streets of the city, you will see a semicircular roof vault and the bell tower dome, covered with yellow and green glazed ceramic tiles arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

Above the portal, you will see a commemorative plaque featuring an image of the symbol of the Holy Spirit - a dove, and an inscription in Latin: “You, who pass by and cast your gaze upon this temple dedicated to the Holy Spirit, know: it was built with scarce funds and completed through the labor of sailors in the year of the Lord 1674”. To the right of the portal, there is another plaque, dated 2003, also featuring a dove and the same inscription in modern Italian.

Initially, this place was home to a small private chapel dedicated to Saint Sophia, which belonged to the Cossa family and was built in 1570. In 1613, a small hospital for fishermen opened next to the chapel. In 1636, the community decided to build a new church next to the hospital. In 1652, the design of the already partially constructed building was revised to make it larger. The chapel and the hospital were demolished, and in 1674, a new church was consecrated in the name of the Holy Spirit and opened to the parishioners.

Upon entering, you feel a certain surprise - the luxurious interiors of the church stand in stark contrast to the modest facade. Colored marble and a large amount of stucco are used in the decoration. In the round niches on either side of the altar, you can see bas‑reliefs of Saint Peter, James, Andrew, and John the Evangelist, created in 1768 by the sculptor Cesare Stareche.

The chapels and the walls of the church contain many works of art from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The altar is decorated with the painting "Pentecost" by the artist from Lacco Ameno Alfonso Di Spigna (1697-1785), dated 1768. On one of the side altars, you can see an 18th‑century crucifix, brought from Spain in the 19th century.

The theme of the ceiling painting is highly relevant for a congregation consisting of families of sailors. The painting depicts a biblical story about the miracle of Jesus walking on water and calming the storm.