Considering the current knowledges it is impossible to precisely estabilish if the rooms located under the church of S. Francesco of Paola are a part of the church itself
or a real church.
The structure provocatevely defined as “chiesa prima” (first church) is presumed to be the one mentioned by DI PIERO in his book “memorie storiche della Città di Sulmona (historical memories of the city of Sulmona).
A quotation quoted in the book reades:
In the year 1620 “they” founded the monastery of P.P. Paolotti and erected a beautiful church that was called San Francesco di Paola
The curch was built on the ruins of a smaller one and dedicated to S. Maria delle Grazie”; inscription which can be found behind the high altar.
The inscription quoted by Ignazio Di Pietro is now located on the last wall of the ancient choir.
A thorough study on this church conducted by professor Antonio Chiaverini “San Francesco Di Paolo a Sulmona” was published by the Rotary Club in the 1878 “Quaderni del Rotary Club”.
Thanks to the President of Rotary Club of Sulmona Mr. Antonio Caruso, an electronic version of this book is available and can be downloaded in this web site.
Even Mr. Ezio Mattiocco, expert on the history of the city of Sulmona, during his studies was also able to work on the topic of the church S. Maria delle Grazie.
The actual tunnel entrance was built, as pointed out by Antonio Chiaverini, after a discovery made “made by brilliant writer of infantile literature, Mario Esposito” whose report is quoted in the Rotary Block Register. He has earned the achievement of having individualized the easiest point to dig and reach the “first church”.
We feel that we are in a position to state that this church was discovered in the year 1931. In fact in this year, during the work of substitution of the floor in the main church, the attic collapsed making a hole in the corrispondy entrance.
We are convinced that even if it’s necessary to make further thorough studies, the rooms under the main church are really that of another church and not that of a crypt or an hypogean because their conformations and dimensions are that of a church and because there are other rooms located under ground.
One of this room is used to draw water from a well. Another is now used as a cellar and in the wall there are arches with very low shutter.
All this elements make you think that in the past there was a structural complex in a lower position then now.
Our project is helpful to create the preamble in order to stimulate the researches throught more studies to give their support to reveal what today appears to be the “mistery of the buried church”.