Chiesetta Gotica ENG

The hand-embroidered flower on the clutch bag is a reference to the one displayed on the front gate of the “Chiesetta di San Francesco di Paola al Borgo”, a small chapel hidden within the atrium of some buildings on Cavour Street, Taranto.

The chapel’s architecture was partly influenced by Islamic art: in fact, you can notice the Arabian style of the façade and of the front door, which was originally green, a typical colour used in Islamic architecture.

The chapel is also called “The small cathedral of Taranto” as it reminds of Milano’s cathedral. It dates back to 1881, when Angelo Cecinato commissioned its construction for the atrium of his own house. Legend has it that one of Angelo’s sisters fell in the stairwell as a child and remained miraculously unscathed. This happened on April 2nd, feast day of Saint Francis from Paola, therefore the decision to build a church dedicated to the Saint.

To visit the chapel, both tourists and citizens must book their entry upon providing a free donation; the gathered amount is devolved to the restoration and the maintenance of the church.