Church of the Servants of Mary
The Confraternity of the Servants of Mary was founded in 1717 by the Cathedral parish priest, Canon Francesco Anton Ruocco—later Bishop of Capri—who wished to bring together the boys of the city of Sorrento into a pious institution under the title Sons or Slaves of Mary. Initially, the institution, affectionately called la Congrazionella by the people of Sorrento, had no permanent home and was hosted in various churches until 1722, when Archbishop Filippo Anastasio donated to the Congregation the Chapel of St. Barnabas, behind the Cathedral. The chapel had belonged to the Mastrogiudice family, Marquises of San Mango, who, having no direct heirs, granted it for this purpose.
In January 1723, Pope Innocent XIII, through his Papal Bull, formally recognized the Congregation of the Sons or Servants of Mary, under the title of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, granting it numerous indulgences. However, the small chapel soon proved too small to contain the large number of affiliates who took part in all religious practices. Canon Giuseppe Corbo, Prefect of the Confraternity, decided to expand it by purchasing the surrounding properties and gardens, thanks to the contribution of Cardinal Antonino Sersale of Naples—a native of Sorrento and one of the first Sons of Mary.
The church was enriched with a splendid polychrome marble altar, bearing on its sides the Sersale family coat of arms, crafted by the renowned Neapolitan marble worker Antonio Troccoli, and with a magnificent terracotta-tiled floor, decorated with maiolica tiles depicting fanciful vases of flowers and fruit among scrolls and cartouches, the work of the famous artist Ignazio Chiaiese. The church was solemnly blessed on 14 August 1772.
In 1774, the temple was further adorned with the great altarpiece of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, painted by the Sorrentine artist Carlo Amalfi, and with a grand six-register organ by the Neapolitan master Nicola Mancini. Later, in 1786, Carlo Amalfi completed ten more canvases: six depicting the key moments of the Virgin Mary’s life, placed along the church walls; and four others representing the Guardian Angel and the three Archangels, placed on either side of the high altar.
The Servants of Mary have always been greatly credited for safeguarding, caring for, and enriching the historical, artistic, and religious heritage of the city of Sorrento. Today, the Confraternity, in keeping with the times yet faithful to its ancient statutes, continues to provide sound religious formation while also embracing new forms of apostolate aimed at supporting those in need. It has also launched new social and cultural initiatives, carried out with ever greater commitment and spirit of service.
