The origins of the Church of Santa Maria di Porto Salvo are closely linked to the confraternity of the same name. During the seventeenth century, at the Church of the Most Holy Annunciation of the Crociferi Fathers, the Confraternity of Santa Maria di Porto Salvo was established.This confraternity, composed of fishermen, sailors, and maritime merchants of the Chianalea district, received civil recognition through the Royal Assent of Ferdinand IV, King of Naples, on 1 December 1778.
Also under the jurisdiction of the Confraternity was the sixteenth-century Church of Saint Lucy, located in the centre of the district. A short distance from it, at the end of the seventeenth century, the Confraternity built several premises.
n the second half of the eighteenth century, the confraternity members, gathered at the Church of Saint Lucy, decided to build, near their premises, a church dedicated to Our Lady of Porto Salvo.
In 1777, while construction of the church had not yet been completed, the painting depicting the Virgin of Porto Salvo between Saints Cosmas and Damian, which until then had been kept and venerated on one of the side altars of the Church of the Most Holy Annunciation, was transferred there.
The structure suffered extensive damage from the earthquake of 1783, and the church had to be rebuilt.
This new temple was exceptionally rich and sumptuous. Beyond the elegant stone portal appeared the liturgical hall. This single-nave church contained no fewer than five altars: the high altar and four side altars.
The high altar, entirely made of white marble and surmounted by columns of the same material with Corinthian capitals, housed the aforementioned painting of Our Lady of Porto Salvo. The two front side altars were also made of white marble and were dedicated respectively to the Most Holy Crucifix and to Saint Lucy.
The latter housed the painting that had served as the altarpiece of the ancient Church of Saint Lucy—which, having been severely damaged by the earthquake of 1783, was never rebuilt, and all its furnishings, liturgical objects, and sacred vessels were transferred to the Church of Porto Salvo—and which depicts the three Sicilian Virgin Martyrs, Lucy, Agatha, and Barbara. The two rear side altars were made of wood and dedicated respectively to Saint Andrew and to a bishop saint (Saint Nicholas?).
Among the furnishings was also a painting depicting Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, belonging to the Mother Church and transferred there during the first half of the nineteenth century.
In 1908, as indicated by the date engraved on the entrance threshold, the tiled roof of the Confraternity premises was replaced with a masonry structure, thus creating a beautiful square.
Only a few months later, however, the church was heavily damaged by the devastating earthquake of 28 December 1908. It was rebuilt a few years later, at the expense of the confraternity of the same name, at a cost of 70,000 lire.
The nave was considerably lowered, as was the bell tower, while the apse retained a height similar to the original in order to accommodate the majestic painting of the Virgin of Porto Salvo above the high altar.
The façade was built in marble dust and white cement in a neoclassical style, while the roof was constructed entirely of wood by the Scilla craftsman Rocco Paladino, known as “Mastranza,” and his eldest son Rocco.
Of the four marble side altars, only that of the Most Holy Crucifix was reassembled, and on the opposite side of the nave (the right side) stood a wooden altar dedicated to Saint Lucy.
The ancient pulpit was recovered and the original white marble balustrade with its brass gate was restored. However, the most important work to survive the earthquake and be reinstalled in the new building was the pipe organ.
In 1994 restoration and interior renovation works began. A new marble floor was laid, with three openings allowing visitors to admire the crypt below. The Eucharistic Altar was created in white marble, reusing the frontal panel of one of the ancient side altars, and the false ceiling of the central nave was removed, revealing the wooden roof structure.
Today, the church, with its single nave, presents itself to visitors with an interior still awaiting artistic completion.
Beside the entrance door are two wooden display cases: the one on the left contains the nineteenth-century wooden sculpture of Our Lady of Porto Salvo, flanked by wooden statuettes of Saints Cosmas and Damian dating from the previous century; the one on the right contains life-size statues of Saints Cosmas and Damian created by Raffaelangelo Musitano of Delianuova in 1901.
Along the right wall stands a third display case in Gothic-Venetian style containing a papier-mâché statue of Saint Lucy from the Lecce school, created in 1926 by the artist Carmelo Bruno. A little further ahead, attached to the wall, is the ancient painting depicting the three Sicilian Virgin Martyrs.
Finally, at the front of the church stands the ancient wooden pulpit. Dating stylistically to the eighteenth century, it is painted to imitate marble and entirely decorated with carvings.
On the front section of the opposite wall stands the only marble side altar.
This altar is dedicated to the Most Holy Crucifix.
On either side of the beautiful eighteenth-century wooden Crucifix, two life-size angel candle-bearers, painted in natural colours, support a gilded cornucopia surmounted by a candle and have their heads turned towards Christ.
On either side of the beautiful eighteenth-century wooden Crucifix, two life-size angel candle-bearers, painted in natural colours, support a gilded cornucopia surmounted by a candle and have their heads turned towards Christ.
To the right stands an eighteenth-century pipe organ. The upper section is finely crafted. In the centre are two ranks of pipes, while the keyboard is located in the lower section.
The organ can still be operated manually from the sacristy through a system of bellows. Beside it stands the ancient gilded wooden cathedra. In the background is the high altar.
Entirely made of white marble, its frontal panel features a bas-relief representation of Saint Lucy.
On the right side, also in bas-relief, are depicted within a shield a compass rose and a compass, symbols associated with the activities of the confraternity members.
The tabernacle, made of greyish marble, encloses a repoussé silver door depicting, in bas-relief, the Sacred Heart of Jesus seated upon clouds.
The tabernacle, made of greyish marble, encloses a repoussé silver door depicting, in bas-relief, the Sacred Heart of Jesus seated upon clouds.

Dottor Rocco Panuccio