The parish church of Passiano is dedicated to the Holy Saviour. Its foundation dates back to around the year 1000. It was dependent on the Abbey until 1514, when the city of La Cava was erected as a diocese. In the 1700s, the building was remodelled with its current facade, whereas the original structure had its front facing west towards the nearby Mount Finestra. The construction of the new church began in 1743. Bishop Silvestro Granito, the bishop of the time, reconsecrated it in 1822.
Following the 1980 earthquake, the church sustained heavy damage and remained closed to worship for a long time, suffering a massive depletion of its artistic heritage.
It was reopened for worship on 16 April 2000.
Adjacent to the Church and communicating with it is the oratory of the Confraternity of St John and St Thomas the Apostle, documented as far back as 1462 and still vibrant and active today. It presents an elegant form with gilded stucco decorations and wooden stalls featuring carvings and festoons.
The crypt below, once the burial place of the brethren, has recently been restored. In it, the draining seats are visible.
Edited by: Lucia Avagliano and Beatrice Sparano
