INTRODUCTION
The Saints Cosmas and Damian's Church is located in a small square in the ancient part of the city of Eboli, near the castle, in the middle of an archeological area. It is dedicated to Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian, twin brothers and early Christian martyrs who did not accept money for their medical consultation.1
Street in which the Church was built
HISTORY
The history of the Church begins around the year 1000, when a Greek community brought the worship of the two Saints to Eboli. The Church was destroyed in 1164 and a new Church was built on its ruins. The new Church was named after another Saint (Sebastian) because, in that period, the devotion to the doctors Cosmas and Damian was not as strong as before. Then, in 1771 the Church was restructured in Baroque style, as we can see today. The Church is very small but it was used every day for more than a century: in 1957 a bigger Church, in front of the Baroque one, was built. In fact, after the Second World War all the priests realised that the Church was too small to seat all the observants and the pilgrims who came to Eboli in order to pray to the Saints.2
Front view of the Church
CURRENT STRUCTURE
Interior architecture of the Church
The Church has only a central nave at the end of which is the altar and two statues of the venerated Saint.
Two statues of the venerated Saint
It can host about 50 observants who can take a seat in the lateral pews or in the ones in front of the altar.
Lateral pews
At the entrance of the Church we can also find a plaque which reminds us that a bigger Church, dedicated to the same Saints was built after the War. Nowadays the small Church is rarely opened because all the Masses are celebrated in the new Church.3
- Photos and main text by Roberta Petti moc.liamg|00ittepatrebor#| and Alessia Taglialatela ti.orebil|gat.aissela#| (January 2019)
- Locate the item on this Google Map
Bibliography
- Comune di Eboli, http://www.comune.eboli.sa.it/
- Wikipedia, Santuario dei Santi Cosma e Damiano (Eboli)
- Wikipedia, Cosma e Damiano