The Church of San Leone in Saracena

The church was built on the remains of an 11th-century Byzantine-style church with a Greek cross plan inscribed within a square. The exact date of its construction is unknown. Originally dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, it was consecrated to Saint Leo in the 13th century by Bishop Guglielmo of Bisignano.

Its architectural style belongs to the late Romanesque and early Calabrian Gothic period. The hexagonal bell tower with Romanesque trifora windows is a remnant of this era.

During the 16th century, under the rule of the Sanseverino family, the church was enriched with new artifacts, and its external doors were adorned with gray stone portals. The most significant restoration took place in the 17th century, giving the interior a Baroque style.

 

Architectural Features

The church interior is divided into three naves, separated by six large pillars supporting arches that define the four bays.

The vault of the central nave is decorated with frescoes depicting four episodes from the Old Testament:

• The Sacrifice of Abraham
• Judith and Holofernes
• The Good Shepherd
• The Coronation of the Virgin Mary

Inside, the church houses twelve altars and various valuable artworks, including:

• A Mannerist-style marble statue of the Blessed Virgin
• The Renaissance-style Ciborium, sculpted in 1522 by a Tuscan artist

The Ciborium’s façade consists of a marble slab in bas-relief, featuring:

• A metal door at the center, engraved with an image of Saint James of Altopasso
• Two praying angels, carved into the floral-motif side columns

 

Entrance & Baptismal Font

The main entrance is framed by yellowish stone and leads into the spacious Baroque-style interior.
The 16th-century portal, crafted by a local artist, follows Renaissance-style patterns, with carved angelic and candelabrum motifs.
The pillars, topped with Corinthian capitals, display at their base the symbols of the feudal lords of that time.

Immediately to the left of the entrance is the Baptismal Font, dating back to the 16th century, made of both stone and wood:

• The stone base features a crouching lion, supporting a carved column with leaf motifs, holding a circular basin
• The lion’s paws encase the church’s emblem, inscribed with "S. Leo 1592"
• The wooden upper section, added in the 17th century, ends with a pointed top adorned with two sculpted relief figures representing the sacrament of baptism

 

Main & Side Altars

The high altar, located in the main nave behind a polychrome marble balustrade, is Baroque in style.
A white marble statue of the Virgin Mary, dating back to the 16th century, is placed within a niche above the altar.
The apse’s vault is adorned with frescoes representing the Kingdom of Heaven and celestial bliss.

On the left side, above the choir, there is a fresco depicting Saint Leo miraculously escaping unscathed after entering fire alongside the magician Heliodorus.

In the right nave, near the secondary door, stands the Altar of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built in the late 17th century.

• Originally dedicated to Saint Anne, it was restored in 1960
• It now houses a white marble statue of the Madonna and Child, created in Naples in the 17th century, characterized by intricate drapery in Baroque style

This sculpture was originally donated by a wealthy benefactor to the Capuchin convent. However, following the suppression of convents by French military forces, it was transferred to the Church of San Leone.