The exterior of the Cathedral of San Giuseppe does not have a uniform character and reflects the various historical phases that contributed to the monument’s current appearance.
The façade was likely constructed in three stages. Initially, it was designed in a simple gabled form, typical of the conventual churches of mendicant orders like the Augustinians, to whom the original Church of Santa Margherita was annexed in 1300 by order of Charles of Anjou.
Later, in 1566, the church was set on fire by the Ottomans and subsequently rebuilt. It is likely during this period that the façade was first elevated, with a brick structure added above the original stone façade, reaching up to the stone cornice still visible above the rose window.
By the late 19th century, the exterior front of the Cathedral still appeared rectangular, prompting an expansion and elevation of the structure. The façade was once again made gabled, through the construction of a new brick wall that recreated the original pinnacle shape.
The external façade, as mentioned, contains elements that reference different moments in the church’s history. The portal and the cornice of the rose window, carved in Majella stone with vegetal motifs, date back to the original construction.
On the portal, a Latin inscription can be found, which reads: “Oh you who pass by and look upon this door, its master was Ruggero De Fragenis, who created this work in the year of the Lord 1293.“
The hole to the right of the door, intended for the deposit of offerings, was added after 1576, the year when Alfonso Caprioli founded the Company of Charity and Death there.
The plaque on the left of the portal commemorates the granting of honorary citizenship to General Charles Antoine Manhès. Its state of deterioration is not surprising.
Manhès became infamous during the Napoleonic period as “The Exterminator” of bandits, known for his brutal and repressive methods, including the use of civic guards and harsh penalties for the families and supporters of bandits. In his campaign in Abruzzo Citeriore, he managed to arrest 166 bandits and kill 125 in just a few months, among them Saverio Pomponio, known by the nickname Centodiavoli, executed in Vasto on February 13, 1810.
Manhès’ notoriety persisted even after the Restoration, but after the unification of Italy, fear of bandits gradually faded, and the figure of their former persecutor became a caricature. Today, the elderly people of Vasto remember him with the nickname “Armàmece e Jàtece,” which means “Arm yourselves and depart.” This phrase serves as a reminder that Manhès’ war against the bandits was fought with the blood of the citizens, not his troops.
Returning to the exterior of the cathedral, the most prominent feature today is the beautiful rose window located in the oculus at the center.
Built in 1928 and inspired by those of Aquila’s churches, it blends seamlessly with the style of the façade and its original frame. The fascist emblem, used as an ornament on the capital of the first central ray, serves as a reminder of the period in which it was created. The need for propaganda at the time would soon lead to the reconciliation between the State and the Church, followed by the adoption of Catholicism as the state religion.
During the restoration work, which began in 1890, the church was not only raised but also extended. On the right side of the building, in Piazza Lucio Valerio Pudente, you can see the arm of the new transept. Next to it stands the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, built in 1909 in a Neo-Gothic style with an exterior brick finish.
On the opposite side of the church is a small square, now called “Largo del Fanciullo.” This area, once home to the convent’s cloister, was only cleared of existing buildings after 1980.
To the left of the cathedral stands the beautiful bell tower. The stone base shows that a bell tower also existed in medieval times. The current tower was built in several stages following the 1566 fire.
The original design likely included a spire atop the bell chamber. However, by the 18th century, the tower was completed with a small bell chamber, made of wrought iron, to chime the hours, and with the addition of a civic clock, which had previously been placed on the façade of Palazzo Meninni, the city government’s seat in the nearby Piazza Caprioli.
