The noble chapel of Palazzo Genova Rulli, the Church of Santa Filomena, stands today in elegant neoclassical form, shaped by the reconstruction carried out by architect Nicola Maria Pietrocola in the early 19th century. Its façade features a large triangular pediment above the portal’s architrave, while inside, a single nave creates an intimate yet refined atmosphere.
The church preserves remarkable paintings by the Florentine artist Achille Carnevali, completed in 1923—the same artist responsible for the beautiful stained-glass windows of the Cathedral of San Giuseppe. The first altar on the right, dedicated to Saint Lucy, is adorned with an 1853 painting depicting a kneeling Constantinian knight in devotion before the saint. The knight’s features closely resemble those of Giuseppe Antonio Rulli, the wealthy landowner who purchased the ruins of the previous church and restored it to serve as his palace’s chapel.
The church’s private function as a noble chapel becomes unmistakable as one moves toward the altar and turns to observe the gallery above the entrance. Lacking any staircase from within the church, the gallery was accessible only through a door leading directly from Palazzo Genova Rulli. It was from this secluded space that the barons attended daily Mass, while the nave was reserved for their household staff and servants.
Although no architectural traces remain, the history of the Church of Santa Filomena extends far beyond its reconstruction nearly two centuries ago.
In the 13th century, this part of the ancient Roman city—then located outside the walls of the Swabian-Angevin settlement known as the “Guasto of Aymone”—was home to a hospital dedicated to the Annunziata, managed by the confraternity of the same name.
By the 16th century, as the city expanded within the Caldorian walls, the hospital was transformed by Giovan Battista da Chieti into a small Dominican convent dedicated to Saint Dominic, housing a prior, four priests, and six novices. The convent was burned down during the Turkish raid of 1566 but was subsequently rebuilt and restored multiple times over the following centuries.
In 1809, following the suppression of religious orders, the Annunziata Confraternity was also dissolved. The noble Genova Rulli family then acquired the church and its adjoining convent, converting the latter into their private residence.
With the family’s lineage ending after World War II, their estate was bequeathed to the diocese, and the church remained closed for many years. In recent times, thanks to the efforts of volunteer groups, it has been restored and reopened. Today, it hosts occasional services and serves as a gathering place for the ancient Confraternity of the Sacred Pious Mount of the Dead.
