Church of St. Girolamo, Ischia Porto

After lunch, I planned to visit the Aragonese Castle and headed towards Ischia Ponte. A couple of blocks from the hotel, on Piazzetta San Girolamo, I looked into a small church (Chiesa di San Girolamo on the map), notable not only for being one of the oldest on the island, but also for the fact that two historical figures were married here in 1509-Ferrante d'Avalos, famous for his victories in the Italian Army. the war of 1521-1526 and Vittoria Colonna, poet and intellectual of the Renaissance. To the right of the portal, you can see a memorial plaque installed on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of this marriage.

When the church was built, it is not known for certain, presumably in the early 15th century. The first entry in archival documents dates back to 1543, when the bishopric transferred the church to the Augustinian monastery of Santa Maria della Scala. I must say that until the middle of the 19th century, this part of the skeleton was practically uninhabited, residential areas were located in close proximity to the Aragonese Castle.

Inside, the church is a long, narrow room with a low vaulted ceiling that looks very ascetic.

The lack of decoration is more than compensated for by the altar part - the dome with a hole at the top and columns are decorated with fine mosaics in a completely original style - the dome looks more like abstract works, and plant ornaments remind of the Art Nouveau era. On the columns you can see images of an island with papal attributes and an olive branch, completing the picture is the altar image of the Madonna and Child in a mosaic frame.

To the right of the entrance is a small memorial dedicated to the inhabitants of the island who died in the world wars.