San Giorgio Church

St. George is the most beautiful Baroque church existing in Salerno, rich in frescoes of the highest quality. It was part of the convent of Benedictine nuns, now a barracks of the Guardia di Finanza and Carabinieri. It is one of the oldest monastic settlements of Salerno, which dates back to the early ninth century. To this period belong the remains of an apse frescoes, recently discovered in the church. At the end of the sixteenth century in San Giorgio are transferred all the nuns of the other Benedictine monasteries in the city (St. Sophia, St. Michael and St. Mary Magdalene).

In 1711 the monastery was expanded with a new project elaborated by Ferdinando Sanfelice, the most famous Neapolitan architect of the first half of the eighteenth century. The interior is richly covered with murals and canvas paintings.

Among the other paintings in the church of great importance: The Virgin and Child with Saints and a nun praying by Andrea Sabatini, dated 1523, The Martyrdom of Saint George in capolatare dating back to the early decades of the seventeenth century, three paintings depicting San Gregorio Magno, the Holy Family with St. John, The Vision of St. Nicholas of Bari dated 1669, artworks by Giacinto De Populi, the Archangel Michael, dated 1690 by Francesco Solimena, some canvases portraying the Virtues, by Paolo De Matteis, dating from the early eighteenth century. Of particular value is the high altar in marble inlay with bas-reliefs and sculptures.