Chapel of St. Catherine

I loved knowledge more than health. 

Assembly centre of the wide spread hamlet of Caprioli, this chapel was built in about 1715 and erected on the remains of an older chapel dedicated to Santa Cathrin of Alexandria. This Saint was worshipped very much around all Europe. 

The cult of the Saint who was of Oriental origins, together with the distribution of the houses, isolated or in small groups, show the religious and administrative organization typical for the Basilian monks. They had lived here making many innovations so as to reorganize the whole productive system of the Cilento. There was a hint of the existence of the church "Obedientiae Sancte Caterina" in Pantana (today a hamlet of St. Catherine), in a parchment of 1033 from which results as well the existence of a small Benedictine monastery which, however, did not survive. 

Traditionally, Cathrin was a young beautiful Christian, a cultured person, of noble origins. In 305 she was martyrized at Alexandria of Egypt, capital of traditional Christian erudition. Her martyrdom took place during the reign of Massenzio or Massimino who persecuted the Christians very hard. During a big sacrificial celebration ordered by the emperor, Cathrin refused to participate. The emperor was struck by such steadiness and resolution. He summoned her trying to convince her through his philosophers and orators. But the wisdom of the young Christian convinced them and they all converted into Christians. For this they were burnt alive. The texts telling about her deeds created an extensive iconography and portray her just like the statue in our chapel with the crown, the book of the wise woman, the wheel and the palm of martyrdom.