Chiesa di San Domenico al Corso

The Church of San Domenico degli Scolopi in Chieti, is situated along the main street of the old town, the elegant Corso Marrucino (Marrucino Street), built at the end of the 19th century during the city planning phase that followed the Unification of Italy. For this reason the church is also known as San Domenico al Corso.Originally the church, added to the Scolopian Fathers College - that became National College and Grammar School in 1861 - was dedicated to Saint Anne and the Blessed Virgin. The current dedication dates to the beginning of the 20th century when the old church and the convent dedicated to Saint Dominic were demolished to make space for the office buildings Province, Prefecture and Police Headquarters. The laying of the foundation stone was in 1642, thanks to some bequests. The works stopped for more than a decade, but the church was finally consecrated in September 1672. Since 2014 it has been assigned to the Polo Museale dell’Abruzzo. (Abruzzo Museum Complex)Outside the visitor can see the sober façade made of limestone, divided in two levels by a moulded frame and surmounted by a curved pediment. To the right of the façade there is the brick, near-square bell-tower: only the two highest levels are visible from Corso Marrucino, the lower one with a circular window per side, the upper one with single-lancet windows. The entrance gate to the church is simple and balanced. The inside of the church has a single nave with three chapels per side, adorned by precious stucco decorations - by the architect, sculptor and decorator Giovan Battista Gianni, belonging to the Lombardo-Ticino school. There are also paintings representing episodes from the Bible. Particularly interesting are those in the chapels along the right side. In the first chapel, for example, the visitor can find the story of the Prodigal Son and of the Banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. On the vault there is the Sacrifice of Isaac. The ceiling of the nave is a barrel vault, interrupted by a trompe-l’oeil small dome, made of pleasant painted stuccoes. The enjoyable inside light is due to segmental arch windows, placed along the left wall. The window on the wall behind the altar presents a painted colored glass. In addition, there is the magnificent pulpit with wood inlays in briar root, the altar in colored marbles and the monumental organ dating back to the 18th century.In the adjacent rooms the rich artistic heritage of the Archdioceses of Chieti has been stored for a very long time, but it is necessary to find a suitable exhibition center as soon as possible.