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The complex
rises on the
farthest outskirts of
Offida and was
built when the first
Capuchins
hastened by the
Offidians, made their
first appearance in our
town.
The monks, before
setting in Offida, made
an accurate inspection
of the place and
decided to build their
monastery in a
ventilated area with a
wonderful view of the
sea and the mountains,
situated about ½
km from the main door,
near the place where
once there was an
ancient church
dedicated to St.
Pantaleo.
The construction of the
new church with the
monastery, after
many negotiations with
the local community and
local religious groups,
commenced in 1614.
As
agreed upon, the
Capuchins had to live
on charity, they were
not able to interfere
in the funerals that
took place in Offida
and they couldn't
receive the corps in
their church.
To
deliver the necessary
material for the
construction, obtained
from the ruins of the
monastery of St.
Bernardo, the Offidians
used an unusual and
rapid system.
In
fact, to gain time, and
so that the
construction could
begin as soon as
possible, a passage was
opened in the oriental
part of the walls and
hundreds of citizens
queued in front of the
church of St. Pantaleo,
each person passing on
stones, bricks and wood
with such cleverness,
that in such a short
time the materials were
taken to the place
where the monastery and
the church had to be
built.
The laying of the
foundation stone with
the sacred cross was
erected in a solemn
ritual, on the 14th
November 1614 and,
after just a year, six
monks took possession
of the oriental part of
the monastery which was
completed in 1626.
Later, in 1800,
both the monastery
and the church were
pulled down.
The
actual church
traces back to
1893 and it was
built on the design of
Friar Angelo da
Cassiano to honour the
memory of
Friar Bernardo, who
had lived in the
monastery of Offida and
died on the 22nd August
1694. At the burial
there were many formal
courtesies, the Chapter
of the canonical
Collegiate, the clergy
and the devotees of the
town, the magistrate
and the other
authorities.
The humble monk
who, during his life
showed love and
sensibility towards the
poor, was beatified
by Pope Pius VI
(1717-1799) in 1795
and the great composer
Joseph Haydn
(1732-1809), during his
trip to Italy in 1796,
composed in his honour
the "Missa Sancti
Bemardi de Offida".
A
statue of the blessed
is placed in one of the
spires of the dome
of Milan.
While in Offida there
was a rage of cholera,
the authorities,
accompanied by pages of
the council, which wore
the traditional red
livery, at noon of the
22nd August they went
to the sanctuary to
offer candles and to
participate to the
evening functions.
In the
sacristy of the
church is preserved
a bust of "St.
Pantaleo", work of
Desiderio Bonfini
(1570-1630).
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