Church of Saint Anthony (Montone) and Sarcophagus of Bucciarello Jacopo di Bartolomeo

Address: Piazza De Bartolomeis, Montone

The Church of St. Anthony Abbot of Montone has drawn its importance, especially for the presence in it of the famous sarcophagus of Bucciarello da Montone.

Probably at the beginning of "curtis", the only church in the town was annexed to a Benedictine monastery run by monks, perhaps Antonian and then Celestine. The historian Brunetti wrote: "Hinc Montonum Ascendis, Castellum monastery Celestinorum ornatum." Since next to the Celestine convent was attached a field, perhaps equipped with a farmhouse, all went under the name of "Grancia".

In 1656, by papal provision about the suppression of small "Grance" and with the main patronage of Duke Josiah III, the  monks were obliged to gather in bigger convents, so that the "Grancia" of Montone ceased to be a dependency of S. Onofrio Campli and was annexed to that of Santa Maria dello Splendore in Giulianova. In this way, the latter could become a Priory.

When the Celestine monks from Giulianova began to neglect their duties, for the convent and the Church of St. Anthony Abbot of Montone, began a period of decline and both ended up in private hands at different times.

At the beginning of 1800 Biagio De Bartolomeis, former owner of the adjacent dwelling (former convent), obtained from Prior Celestine the use of the Church. Then, he restored it in baroque style, turning it into a kind of chapel.

As for the sarcophagus of Bucciarello Jacopo di  Bartolomeo from Montone, it is of a work of art crafted in stone and carved in Gothic style, dated 1390. Once it was placed in the church of S. Jacopo outside the walls. But since this church ceased to exist as such and was transformed into a cemetery, the monumental sarcophagus was moved in the church of St. Anthony, where it is still today.

(From: Mosciano Ieri ed Oggi di G. Zenobi, Ed. C.E.T.I. Teramo; Montone Analisi storica e proposta di recupero ambientale ed edilizio di Maddalena e Gabriella Ferrajoli, Media Editoria, Mosciano)